I want all of you! english version
by Firebirdever
Summary: Rukia dreams of her brother, but she cannot tell him. Byakuya dreams of his sister, but says nothing. What will happen when the Soutaichou sends them on a mission together? Warning: lemons; if you don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

Okay someone came to me with a very special request, to translate "I want all of you" in english because her friend wanted to read the story. Given that my english is very poor, she friendly offered to translate the story. So many thank to Kuro-cho-Tsuki-shiro, take a minute to visit her page, she already had a amazing work on bleach. ( u/3015201/)

So here we go with chapter 1, Bleach belong to Tite Kubo unfortunately

CHAPTER 1

"Rukia-sama, it's time for you to get up; breakfast will be served soon."

She woke with a start at her servant's voice, and was sitting up in the blink of an eye. Even before she looked in the mirror, she knew that her cheeks were red; not so much a natural flush as one born of desire. The sight of her face, soaked with sweat, and her cheeks aflame, shocked her all the same, as she passed the looking-glass.

The dream hadn't been a nightmare, like those in which she was forced into a relentless flight from hollows and in which the monster always found her in the end. No, this dream had been one of the more pleasant ones.

A wave of heat posessed her anew as a memory from her dream resurfaced in her mind. The recollection of a man who had slowly explored every part of her body, his large, pale hands so hot that her skin seemed to burn beneath their contact. But there was no pain other than the desire for even more of their heat. Rukia had sunk into his strong arms. Possessed by this man, her heart had begun to beat at great speed; not one of her muscles protested; on the contrary, the more her breathing accelerated, the more receptive he found her.

"Rukia-sama….. is everything alright?"

Rukia started a second time. She realised that her servant was still on the other side of the door and awaiting a response from her mistress.

"Uh, everything's fine, Suzumi; I'm going to take a shower and then I'll get ready."

Rukia saw the woman's shadow disappear. When she was certain she was alone, she let out a long sigh. She shook her head to try and clear it. Those memories would not stop haunting her. It wasn't normal. Yet it had been several months now since she'd started having these recurring dreams, leaving her body aching in the early hours of the morning, aching and unsatisfied.

She told herself that, despite everything, it was not what she dreamed of that troubled her; no, the ecstasy she felt night after night was most….. appreciable. But it was the one who joined her in those moments of languid desire…..

Often, in the dreams, his face was fluid, vague or even non-existent. But Rukia knew exactly who it was who came to make her body reverberate to the very depths of her soul under an assault that was just as powerful as it was sensual. He was large, muscular; with pale, sweet skin; long ebony-black hair, so smooth to the touch; and a deep voice that made her tremble every time he pronounced her name, but the one thing that seemed to rob her of her defences was his powerful grey gaze, which seemed to enchant her and make her lose all reason.

She couldn't recall when the man had become Kuchiki Byakuya; perhaps it had been from the very first day. She did not know how or why her brother came to join her each night in dreams. But he took her to paradise.

Since that day at the academy she had been intoxicated by his presence. And this man who had come out of nowhere, who walked as if he were dancing; this man had come and proposed, so incongruous it can appear, that she become a part of his family. The first time she'd seen him she had thought that he was quite simply the most beautiful man she had ever encountered. Rukia might have salivated if she could. And he had wanted her to be his sister!

Since that time, he had been so cold, so distant….. inaccessible. He didn't even seem to be aware of her presence; he was completely ignorant of her. Rukia always asked herself why. Perhaps she had gained a family, but she had lost all her friends. Her first fifty years in the presence of Kuchiki were unbearable.

And so she'd had to endure a half-century before Byakuya found the strength to explain himself. Yes, a lot of things changed between her and her brother. That day, on Sokyoku Hill, when he had taken the blade of Ichimaru Gin in her place, he had sacrificed himself for her. That had been a revelation. And then he had revealed to her all the secrets of her sister. Rukia had felt loved and wanted.

She had finally experienced the love of a family. And when Isane Kotetsu, the fukutaichou of Fourth Division, had recounted to her what Byakuya had said and done in Hueco Mundo, saving her once more, her heart had opened like a flower.

She could no longer count the times that he had saved her. She did not take it for granted, for sure, but what surprised her more now were the glances he threw in her direction when he thought she wasn't looking. In such moments, Rukia couldn't help but think that he had such fire in his grey eyes. It was impossible to hold onto those glances because, the next second, they were gone. Her conversations with him were often clumsy and often embarrassing, but they were becoming longer and more natural.

Rukia stretched and picked up a towel. Given the state she was in, a shower would do her the greatest good, preferably cold. She re-adjusted her sweat-soaked yukata and left her chamber.

As she opened the door of her apartment though, she found herself nose to nose with Byakuya coming from the communal room for breakfast. He was already dressed, wearing his shihakusho, haori, kenseikan and a costly scarf that was an heirloom of the family. The whole effect was immaculate. Rukia nealy had a heart attack and at once slammed the door shut, letting out a small cry that was far from elegant.

"Rukia!"

The latter swallowed with difficulty and felt her knees go weak, hearing the same voice that haunted her nights. She reopened the door slowly, only letting him see a little of her face.

"Hai, Nii-sama?"

"That was not very polite."

"Go….. Gomenasai, Nii-sama," she apologised, colouring: "I….. I am not presentable; sumimasen, I don't want to offend you."

"I see," he said simply: "Get yourself ready, Rukia, you are going to be late."

"Hai, Nii-sama."

Rukia watched him continue on his way and let out a sigh of relief. She leaned her head out of the doorway and, assuring herself that the path was clear, left the chamber and ran quickly to the bathroom. Closing the door, at last she could relax.

He was the one person that Rukia didn't want to see her like this. She ran the water and stood under the jet. The hot shower immediately loosened her muscles. She took the soap and rubbed every part of her body. Yet it began to burn as she remembered something from her dream that she had tried, by all means, to forget, for fear that it might make her lose her mind.

_Rukia was no longer in the shower. She was back when, having just returned to the mansion after a two month mission in the world of the living, she was glad to be back in the house. Kami, she was so glad! Although, having been told that she was to be the principal point of contact between Ichigo and the Soul Society, she couldn't really complain._

_Lost in her thoughts, she reached her chamber and didn't see the tall figure who approached from behind. His thoughts too were also elsewhere. In fact, Kuchiki Byakuya was also thinking about the time his adoptive sister had passed in the company of that fool, Kurosaki and he kept telling himself that he could perhaps charge Renji, his fukutaichou, with certain tasks that would allow him to take Rukia's place instead._

_He could not admit that he was jealous of the time that boy had spent with Rukia. And, to top it all off, he didn't like the way the young man looked at her._

_Beneath the moon, the two of them stumbled into one another. The captain had just enough time to see who he had jostled before he reached out to try and keep her from hurting herself. But this did not turn out as well as he wanted because Rukia tumbled onto him, causing them both to lose their balance._

_In the end, they both found themselves on the ground, Rukia atop him. All at once, Byakuya felt his breath catch, aware of the body of the little shinigami against his. He gritted his teeth; she wore only a very thin yukata that ended above her knees; her skin was still wet and her hair gave off a delicate aroma of jasmin. She must have come straight from the shower. Already his imagination was running wild. How could he avoid being overcome with desire as these sensations assaulted his senses?_

_While Byakuya battled himself, Rukia sat up a little. She still didn't know what she had fallen onto save that it was hard. She would not have been surprised if she had walked into one of the posts on the veranda again._

"_Itai….. Sumimasen, my mind was elsewhere and I wasn't looking where I….._

_Her words caught in her throat. As she'd sat up, an odour had enveloped her. She would know it anywhere. It was the scent of cherry blossoms, that of Kuchiki Byakuya. She turned sideways to see the face of her brother centimetres from her own, and froze in place, just as if Hitsugaya-taichou had passed in the vicinity._

"_Nii-sama, I'm sorry; I….."_

"_You are not hurt, Rukia?"_

_Byakuya's question surprised her, though suddenly she understood why she had felt herself pulled towards the object she had collided with rather than knocked backwards by it. Rukia's cheeks coloured violently._

"_No," she said in a small voice: "Arigato, Nii-sama."_

_It was then that Rukia noticed Byakuya was ill at ease. But of course, she must be crushing him beneath her weight. Just as she was about to remove herself, Byakuya suddenly trapped her small frame and held her in place. He didn't want her to leave. Indeed, he wanted her. He felt the heat of her skin against his, but it meant little since their bodies seemed to overlap and her heat was his own. Well, okay, perhaps it meant something. He gazed at her, feeling his member stiffen between them. Kami, the yukata hung so well on her body. He admired her legs where they touched his own body and her breasts, where the edge of her clothing opened slightly._

"_Nii-sama….. I must…. I."_

"_No, you do not move," he ordered simply._

_He raised his hips gently. He saw Rukia's lips open in an 'o.' She let out a little groan as she felt his erection grow larger still. A rare smile touched his face as he gently slid his hands towards the base of her belly._

_Byakuya could see Rukia's resistence weakening and kept his gaze burning into her as he continued to move his hips. There was almost nothing between them, nothing but a simple piece__of clothing. In seeing Rukia's eyes close with pleasure, he smiled, satisfied; he kept one hand in the hollow of her body and, with a gesture, precise and skilled, he opened the yukata, revealing one of her breasts._

_Rukia's eyes opened a little. What was happening? She seemed to have no control over her body; yet, deep inside herself, she knew only too well what was going on: she wanted more!_

_All the same, she tried to cover herself. But Byakuya moved too fast. Having foreseen what she intended to do, he gripped her hand, pushing it back and covering her breast with his other palm. He began to pet it and pinch it sweetly, while his other hand rested against her side, moving her small body back and forth._

_He had instigated the movement, but after a little time, she started to move with him, almost involuntarily. Which left his hands free. He liberated her other breast and pulled down the yukata over her arms, leaving her unable to move them, taking her prisoner of her own volition._

_Thus entangled, Rukia had no other choice but to abandon herself to the strange care of Byakuya. God, she had lost her head. All logical thought left her and her senses were overwhelmed with pleasure; her breathing became deeper._

"_You give the impression of enjoying this Rukia," said Byakuya in a grave voice._

"_Yesssss," breathed Rukia in pleasure: "Oh Byakuya!"_

_A small smile touched his lips; his eyes closed against his own desire as his member grew painful. He could already feel himself losing control. And equally, he could feel how hot and wet Rukia had become through the fabric of her yukata. His awareness of her presence worked against his self-restraint._

_He pulled on his yukata, drawing her towards him and Rukia shifted a little to let him enter her. Rukia's warm, bare skin rubbing against him, his member tripled his anticipation. Oh Kami! Yes, he had wanted often to reach inside her and be lost in her. It was too intense; he must possess her, make her understand that she was a part of him. In letting him have this much now, she drove him mad. He could not wait anymore._

_He rose, laying Rukia on her back, and positioning himself between her legs. He leaned into her and embraced her forcefully then. Rukia was already imprisoned in her yukata, but Byakuya made sure that her arms were pinned against her body, giving her no chance to escape him. She writhed and shifted impatiently beneath him. Too hot; it was too hot in her belly._

_Rukia's ecstasy rose at the same pace as his own. He could hear her moans coming stonger and srtonger. Now, she pushed her hips up against his, trying to hold herself._

"_Bya…..kuya…..By…..a," she groaned._

_Her mind was seized with desire._

"_You want more?" he breathed softly in her ear._

"_Yesss, please. Byakuya, yes."_

_Rukia's gaze was unfocussed, her eyes half-closed with lust. She tried to free her arms, but Byakuya wouldn't give her the chance. He kissed her, guiding his pulsing member towards her as he did, and letting the swelling tease the opening to her body._

_At last, Byakuya let a groan of pleasure escape him, entering her slowly, so slowly. Both of them were assailed by such extraordinary sensations._

_He began with a rhythm that was cruelly slow as he penetrated more deeply inside of her, letting full length of his member enter into her before pulling back and re-entering anew, again and again, pushing further and harder each time._

_And now he increased the rhythm, watching Rukia's features become consumed with pleasure, her body still captive in her clothes. A strange thought crossed Byakuya's mind then. She was _his _possession, _his _prisoner, a part of him. He was in complete control and he wanted to keep it this way. She was his and he was never going to let her leave. Kami, he had wanted, so often, to be lost in her. Rukia was so pretty, so sweet, so beautiful in her ecstasy._

_He let his member enter deeper still, so that he had to open Rukia's legs, pushing them back towards her shoulders. Rukia's groans grew stronger as he changed their position, their breathing, raking and deep. Byakuya increased the rhythm still more._

_Of a sudden, he felt Rukia's walls close about him and a wave of pleasure overtook him. Rukia let out a final cry, her body trembling sweetly as pleasure ravaged her senses. Byakuya thought that he had never seen anything so delightful before. His eyes widened as his orgasm rose and possessed him. He pushed his hips forward several more times, with force, penetrating her as deeply as he could, before releasing himself inside her with a groan, making Rukia's orgasm peak anew._

_For several minutes, Byakuya remained bowed against her, pinning her to the ground with his weight. Kami. All the muscles in his body were trembling like a sakura petal and a strange emotion blossomed in his chest. His heart beat so fiercely for Rukia in that moment. When he saw her eyes flooded with pleasure and love, Byakuya stroked her cheek tenderly, his flint gaze meeting her own:_

"_Rukia, I….."_

"Rukia-sama, it's time for you to get up; breakfast will be served soon."

Rukia knelt in the shower, her body trembling, her knees weak. It was at that moment she had woken, just as Byakuya had been about to say something important. And at the interruption, she could have surely cursed her servant for such poor timing.

Rukia leant against the walls of the shower, continuing to wash more hastily now. Although a part of her was afraid to know the answer, as she dressed, she couldn't help but ask herself:

"By Kami, what did he want to tell me?"

* * *

So that it, many thanks again to Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-chiro for her translation, please leaver your review, it will be a pleasure for her and for me to read it ^^ Till then, take care

Omake

Byakuya arrives and fixes me with a piercing stare.

Firebird: Uh…..what?

Byakuya: (…..)

Firebird: What? (starting to freak out)

Byakuya: Onna….. (in the style of Ulquiorra)

Firebird: (gulp) Hai…..

Byakuya: What were you going to have me say?

Firebird: Uh, I have no idea.

Byakuya: You have written this story and yet you don't know what you're writing….. Pathetic.

Firebird: (smiling a little) Leave a review; maybe I'll respond to you.

Byakuya: (sweat drop) Chire…..

Firebird: Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh


	2. Chapter 2

So herre the second chapter, a huge thank again to Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-chiro for the translation of the story. She is so amazing. Take a min to check her page ^^

Disclaimers are the same: I dont own bleach sadly.

* * *

CHAPTER 2: BREAKFAST WITH NII-SAMA

Byakuya was sitting in seiza at the table, taking a last minute look at some documents, when he heard her soft, timid voice:

"Omatase shimashita." 1

Rukia opened the door of the dining room and trotted to her place. Byakuya's curiosity was so strong then that he couldn't fully concentrate on the papers and looked up at her. The little shinigami was already wearing her uniform, but now he could smell the scent of jasmine from her hair, which he could see was still a little wet. He watched her sit down, his eyes warm, her usual gait and sweetness provoking strange sentiments in him.

Of course, Byakuya could never admit that he found Rukia's personality so adorable and full of life; at least, when she wasn't being so timid. He had come to appreciate and look forward to the moments he had with the little shinigami. He must confess that, more and more nowadays, he found himself wanting to learn more about Rukia.

Unfortunately, work meant that time was tight for him and the occasions when he could see her were rare; that was why this breakfast was important to him. He couldn't precisely define his feelings for her any more, but one thing was certain: since the incident on Sokyoku Hill, something had changed between them.

Flash-back

_In pain now, Byakuya made his way back to the manor. His body had been ravaged in the battle against Kurosaki Ichigo. But he would not allow that to make him fall. No. He still had his pride. He held his head high, the true head of the Kuchiki clan. A noble of his stature did not fold after one fight and that was still the case even if each step was an agony and his body complained at this inhuman treatment._

_He leant, one hand against the wall: a moment's respite. He was still losing blood, drop by drop; he hadn't enough reiatsu to prevent his wounds from bleeding, leaving a scarlet trail behind him. Then suddenly, Byakuya felt the mind of the traitor, Aizen, enter into contact with his own through some sort of Bakudo, the Tenteikura. Through this, he was able to transmit messages telepathically. With horror, Byakuya heard the three words the former captain of Fifth Division wanted him to hear:_

"_Kill her, Gin!"_

_It was in that precise second that everything within him seemed to vanish. Everything changed. All the defences he had put up to stay his suffering: his cold exterior, his inaccessibility, his duty, his honour, his will to respect order and the law, his responsibilities as chief of his clan; all disappeared to be replaced by just one thing. Rukia!_

_Instinctively, and without thought, he turned and vanished, using shunpo. His injuries, along with his mutilated body and his weakened reiatsu, were forgotten. Was he faster now than Shihoin Yoruichi? He had no time to consider it; all he could see was death approaching the one thing he possessed that was most precious to him. Byakuya had the impression that he was flying then. Moving at unimaginable speed, trying desperately to arrive in time._

_When he'd finally arrived on the Sokyoku, he'd had only the time and the strength for one last shunpo that trapped her within his arms, as he received the blade that had been destined for her. He finally understood then what the young Kurosaki had said. She was his pride. She was here in his arms. She was safe and sound and that was all that mattered to him._

_Ichimaru withdrew his sword and Byakuya fell at last, all else forgotten. His body had reached its limit. He believed he was dying then, in Rukia's arms and, if he'd had the strength, he would have smiled when Rukia asked him why he had sacrificed himself for her. Such a stupid question! He was aware though, as this reality began to fade, that Rukia had become more to him than a simple promise made to Hisana, to his dead wife. So much more!_

End of flash-back.

Since the moment he had saved her, Byakuya had started to dream of her from time to time. He would see her walking across the gardens, meditating peacefully beside the pond, walking down avenues of sakura trees in flower; he would see her look up at him and smile at his approach. And though he always woke before he had the opportunity to join her, Byakuya had realised that he loved to see Rukia's smile. There was only one thing he wanted more than that: in the daylight and outside of his dreams, he wanted to see her happy.

At his side, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. Rukia couldn't help admiring Byakuya's features. She felt her face grow hot as she realised this might well be obvious to him.

Everything about his being was the incarnation of perfection. His skin was pale and sweet, his hair an even black; his lips were thin and fine; and his movements were graceful, though not without deliberation. The long strands of his hair, tamed by the kenseikan, fell loose across the left side of his face, and his grey eyes seemed so clear that they captivated Rukia entirely.

At that moment, Rukia knew she had a problem. She was irresistibly drawn to him. Yes, she had deep feelings for him; yes, she respected him, she admired him and she loved him. But she had never, up until this point, realised that she had sexual desire for him. She wanted him. She wanted to let him run his long hands over her body, to feel his lips against hers and to….. Rukia swallowed. It really wasn't surprising that she was having these kinds of dreams, she thought, now that she admitted the feelings to herself. But why must she have such thoughts at all?

Byakuya noticed that his adopted sister had a strange expression. Her gaze was vague, her breathing fast and her cheeks were flushed. He hoped that she was not hiding anything from him.

"Rukia."

She started when Byakuya said her name. The depth of his voice made her shiver. Rukia was sure that Byakuya enjoyed the way he said her name, pronouncing it slowly, making each syllable roll over his tongue.

"Hai, Nii-sama?"

"Is everything alright? You seem distressed?"

"Uh… It's nothing; just a recurring dream. You shouldn't let it trouble you."

"I see," he said in the same tone.

He continued to fix her with his gaze for a little longer, and then turned away. Mentally, he shrugged his shoulders, telling himself that the disquiet he felt over Rukia was surely down to their current proximity. In the end, worrying about these things was completely futile, he thought. Nor was it becoming for someone of his standing. He surprised himself, though, by asking whether the temperature was affecting her, if she was cold or if she needed an extra blanket. At this point, they started small-talk, and he realised that he would find out nothing more today. When it came to Rukia, that was how it always went.

"What happened in your dream?" he asked, sounding disinterested.

He tried not to react when he saw Rukia go as white as a sheet then a violent shade of pink, though it did peak his curiosity.

"Uh….."

While Rukia searched for words, Byakuya saw his personal attendant, Torio, come into the dining room and go down on his knees before him:

"Byakuya-sama, Osamu-san, the council of elders would like to speak to you about something before you leave today."

Byakuya's brows drew down and he dismissed the young man. Was it not something that could wait for the next council meeting? It was particularly wearing because Rukia would almost certainly need to depart for the Thirteenth Division before he was finished. He turned towards her:

"Gomen, Rukia," he said, getting to his feet.

He left the room quickly and Rukia let out a long sigh of relief. Saved by the elders: that was a first! What had she been meant to say? 'Yes, I dreamt that you made passionate love to me all night in an atmosphere of luscious debauchery.' That made no sense! She was thoughtful for a moment. When Byakuya had looked at her, she had sensed something hidden in his glance. What had it been?

She sighed; Byakuya was gone; her meal had suddenly lost its importance. She ate and then left the table. Going to retrieve her zanpakuto from her chamber, she took the door that opened onto the gardens. She had found a place in the grounds of the manor where she could be alone, without servants or anyone about to notice her small errors. It was a little clearing beside a rocky slope where she had found a waterfall with a narrow stream of water, not far from a vast cherry tree, surely the oldest of all the plants on the estate. Every time she came here, she found that the atmosphere calmed her mind and left her soul at peace.

It was perfect for what she wanted to do. Because Rukia had set herself a goal: she wanted to attain the long-vacant post of fukutaicho of Thirteenth Division. She considered it a homage to her mentor, Shiba Kaien. She'd spoken about it with Ukitake-taicho who had admitted that she was likely ready since her kido was well above average. Each time, though, she had sensed a slight hesitation on the part of her captain and last time they'd spoken he had told her that she must work on her Zanjutsu, her sword style and her zanpakuto techniques.

What her captain had not told her at the time was that he had, for a long time, wanted to give her that promotion, but a certain captain of the Sixth Division had always been firmly opposed to it. Ukitake could never have admitted that.

Ignorant of this detail, even after several months, Rukia had doubled the time she'd spent practising with her zanpakuto. In addition to training with her colleagues in the division, she now also trained alone, in this secret place in the grounds of the Kuchiki manor. Rukia knew very well that her skills with a sword left her wanting and had sometimes put her in situations that were perilous and could even have been fatal had she not had brave friends and, in particular, her brother, to protect her.

However, far from discouraging her, it pushed her to surpass herself. She would become better than Renji and, once she was, they would have no choice but to promote her to vice-captain. So she trained long and hard. After practising regularly like this for some time, though she couldn't say how or why, she'd often had the impression that someone was watching her. Though she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but let it affect her training. She reached out with her reiatsu and no-one was there. Yet, time and again, the feeling returned.

She had already spoken to Renji about this, but he'd had no answers for her. Rukia didn't want to make too much of a fuss for fear that she would be taken for a fool. In a moment of madness, she'd even had the thought that it might be her brother spying on her, but she had rejected the idea in the next moment because she could still feel his presence, but at a distance from the place where she trained. She'd almost let out a little laugh at that, reminding herself that Kuchiki Byakuya no doubt had other things to do than watched her feeble efforts.

Rukia had already witnessed Senbonsakura's release and she never ceased to be amazed by it. Lost in her thoughts, as she headed to the forest on the edge of the estate, she remembered the day when she had surprised Byakuya at his training. At once beautiful, yet deadly. When Senbonsakura was released, it seemed that a cloud of snow danced gracefully on a non-existent wind. Like a flush of sakura, despite the season. And at night, it was even more fantastic; the petals seemed to be imbued with their own light. But, make no mistake; Senbonsakura was not a zanpakuto to take lightly. It might be formed of the petals of flowers, but the injuries it inflicted were nonetheless far from painless.

Rukia arrived, at last, at the little clearing and stopped close to the pond, not far from the shade of the vast sakura. She emptied her mind, letting the sound of the water and the scent of the tree fills her being. Drawing her sword, she said:

"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki."

All at once, the blade changed into its shikai and she began her dances. After several moments though, Rukia felt the presence that always appeared whenever she was training, and she tried to ignore it, when suddenly, she heard a voice. She pointed her sword in the direction it came from:

"Who's there?"

* * *

1. Omatase shimashita: "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting"

Well that was all for chapter two, sorry for the little cliffie at the end, you will have the answer in the next chappie. ^^ Leave your comment, anything :)


	3. Chapter 3

And here's chapter 3. :) Thank you to all those who have left a comment / added an alert / added it as a favourite. Thank you very much; it's very much appreciated. A enormous thank to Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-shiro for her translation. She is amazing. ^^

So today, a little action ("_evil laughter_", not the kind of action you're thinking of with your dirty mind… sure, okay, me too; I was thinking of that :P )

For any Hado or Bakudo that you would like to learn about, I would greatly suggest you go and take a tour on Bleach Wiki.

And….. no, Bleach is not mine; all credit goes to Tite Kubo.

* * *

CHAPTER 3: SPECIAL TRAINING

That morning, before he departed for his office in Sixth Division, Byakuya had been surprised to see his fukutaicho arriving at the manor. Abarai Renji! Though often impulsive, ignorant of his manners and a little distractible when it came to doing paperwork, Byakuya still preferred him over every other fukutaicho. Heaven forbid that he should have a lieutenant like the one in Eleventh Division, Kusajishi Yachiro, or even the Tenth Division's Matsumoto Rangiku: the woman was the laziest by far, and he didn't even want to consider the duo who temporarily occupied that position in Thirteenth Division: those too gave him a migraine every time he saw them.

In the end, Byakuya told himself that, though Renji certainly had faults, he could tolerate them. Renji had once hated Byakuya with all his being because he had adopted Rukia, but since the incident on Sokyoku Hill and Aizen's treason, Byakuya could almost believe that a bond of trust had grown between the two of them.

"Ohayo, Kuchiki Taicho."

"Good morning, Renji. It seems to me that it's a little too early for you to be up!"

Byakuya saw his fukutaicho scratch the back of his head nervously.

"Ah….. Say there were some papers that I didn't have the time to complete yesterday….."

The captain tried to hold back a sigh. When he had left the office yesterday, there had remained a considerable pile of paperwork on his fukutaicho's table.

"I see," he said at last.

"But I came to tell you that there's a captains' meeting at nine o'clock."

"Very good, Renji. I'll accompany you to the division."

Suddenly, Byakuya saw Rukia in the distance, crossing the gardens and taking the trail that led to the waterfall on the far side of his property.

"Ah, I see that Rukia is still doing her morning training; she's very driven," said Renji.

Byakuya said nothing, content to watch his sister walking calmly, serenely. At a certain time ever morning, he had become accustomed to sensing Rukia's reiatsu at this distance. It would be a lie to suggest he didn't worry each time he felt her energy reach knew peaks, but, at the same time, he felt an ounce of pride flare up: a rare burst of emotion.

"That reminds me, Taicho, Rukia asked me about something unusual that happens when she trains. She told me she had the impression that she wasn't alone."

Byakuya felt his heart miss a beat. He turned towards his fukutaicho, trying to appear calm.

"A presence?"

"Yes, Taicho, but she didn't want to say any more."

Byakuya had to force himself not to roll his eyes. He had no response for his fukutaicho, but he let his gaze drift again to the distant silhouette of his sister, before turning back to Renji. This troubled him: was there someone who wanted to take her away from him? Why were they observing her while she trained? Or else, was it….. he frowned:

"Renji."

"Yes, Taicho?"

"It's too late for me to go to the division now; you can go instead," said Byakuya.

"But Taicho….. the meeting….."

"Don't worry, Renji, I'll be there at the prescribed hour, and, in the meantime, you'll have time to finish yesterday's paperwork before starting on today's."

Touche! Renji made no more objections, but bowed to his captain and started to make his way to the gates. Yet he felt an involuntarily shiver run up his spine: was that concern he had seen in his captain's eyes? Nah! He must have been dreaming. His lack of sleep must have been working against him. Perhaps it was his hangover; nights out with Ikkaku and Hisagi often ended that way.

Byakuya crossed the gardens, taking the same path as Rukia had only moments before. He took care to mask his reiatsu, making it undetectable. And, as he passed under cover of the trees, he saw Rukia in the clearing not far from the pond; she was completely still for a moment, before reaching for her zanpakuto. Then, gracefully, she drew her sword:

"Mae, Sode no Shirayuki."

At once, the sword became white as snow and, in the same instant; the hilt became adorned with a long ribbon that seemed to circle Rukia like a protective shield. As she began her dances, Byakuya found that he was, despite himself, enchanted by the succession of movements, skilled yet fluid. He let a slow smile of appreciation touch his otherwise impassive features. With grace and precision, Rukia ran through the forms of her combat against an invisible enemy. He should leave; he should leave her alone. She was not in danger; indeed, she was doing well; yet he stayed to watch her. For some time, all that mattered to him was that he could watch her, that he could be close to her and simply enjoy her presence. And yet, in that moment, she was completely unaware of him. This was how he preferred her: natural and confident in her abilities.

Suddenly, Byakuya froze. It seemed to him that he could see something behind Rukia. As he watched, the apparition became more and more clear, seeming to follow the movements of the little shinigami like a shadow. It was only when the entity had emerged to its fullest extent that Byakuya could be sure of what he was seeing, though he didn't want to believe it. It was Sode no Shirayuki. Rukia had attained the materialisation of her zanpakuto. She was approaching bankaï. Impossible! She could not have progressed to such a stage right under his nose without him sensing it! Moreover, Sode no Shirayuki now stood behind Rukia, like an echo of her mistress, miming her movements. So, she was the presence that Rukia had sensed.

He was in shock. Never had he thought that Rukia would one day attain bankaï. The ultimate form of a zanpakuto was possessed only by nobles and those with powerful reiryoku, like most of the captains of the Gotei Thirteen. At last count, he'd not known that Rukia fell into that second category, and she certainly wasn't a noble by birth.

In the next instant, the young, white-haired woman in a kimono looked in his direction. Byakuya saw her pale blue eyes turn questioningly towards his. This too was impossible, he told himself. He was perfectly hidden by the cover of the forest and his reiatsu was firmly suppressed. She could not know that he was there. The spirit of the sword stopped copying Rukia's movements and swept towards him. Rukia continued to train without noticing anything different. Shirayuki advanced towards him, unseen by her mistress; he took a step backwards. It was then that she stopped and gave an enigmatic smile. She raised her white hand slowly and gestured that he should join them; that he should come and dance with them. And before he could do anything, Byakuya felt his own sword tremble against his side. Senbonsakura was dying to leave his sheath. It occurred to Byakuya, in that moment, to let him go. The noble, simultaneously shaken on the inside and calm as ever on the outside, stared at the white-haired woman. She raised an eyebrow and let out a tiny, crystalline laugh.

So it was that Byakuya saw the spirit return to stand behind her mistress. She leaned down to her ear and murmured something that he couldn't hear. And suddenly, Rukia started as if she had heard a noise. He hadn't even moved. Sode no Shirayuki vanished. Rukia turned in his direction and raised her sword.

"Who's there? Come out!"

He was discovered. Letting out a small sigh, he left the cover of the trees. At once, Rukia lowered her sword, her eyes wide with surprise: "Ni – Nii-sama!"

"You found me, Rukia."

Byakuya let a moment's silence pass: "What are you doing here, Rukia?"

"I'm training," she said quietly, though he could have sworn he heard amusement in her voice.

"Show me."

Byakuya saw the eyes of the little shinigami open wide when he reached for his sword and drew it.

In that moment, Rukia wondered if she was still dreaming. But no, he really was there. His reiatsu was real, powerful and even lethal. He would not lose to her. Rukia was nearly a hundred years behind her brother. And, if she didn't want to lose face, she would have to go all out. Rukia took her position and released her reiatsu, letting it flow freely through her.

Byakuya was surprised by the sudden change in Rukia. He was used to sensing her energy when it was at its lowest level: weak, nervous and hesitant, but this was stronger than he had anticipated. This troubled him; was this all the potential for power that lay beneath the surface, almost within her reach? She was close.

From the first cuts, Rukia knew that Byakuya was not going to present her with an opening. He was not fighting at his full strength yet, but at least he was not holding back as if she was a fragile china doll, as was the case when it came to Renji or her colleagues in the division. The latter were always preoccupied by her family name; they were put off by the image of a furious Kuchiki Byakuya reprimanding them for having injured her. Rukia was glad that Byakuya returned her attacks with force. He was giving her a chance, but also giving her a better training session than she had ever had. Okay, so she would spend the next few days complaining that she was in pain, but so what? If he was willing to take the time to train with her, then she would show him her best.

Rukia tightened her grip on her sword, giving stronger cuts and imbuing her attacks with more precision. She did not want to strike him; indeed, she knew she was far from capable of that; nevertheless she would give everything she had. Rukia wanted him to be proud. Suddenly, she felt anew the presence within her, but, this times, instead of a vague apparition, it seemed to her that the entity was almost complete; it doubled the strength of her cuts and gave her a resurgence of energy. Rukia smiled without knowing why.

"Oh….. You look as if you are enjoying this, Rukia. Good, you're serious now. Come, give me everything you have."

The air was brutally cold with Rukia's reiatsu, which was now fluctuating wildly. Her breaths made condensation in the fresh morning air. She at once abandoned the idea of using her first dance, Tsukishiro, because the pillar of ice took a certain amount of time to create and Byakuya was too fast in shunpo to be caught by it. He would avoid it easily. Her second dance, Hakuren, seemed a good alternative, but she would still have to plan several cuts in advance to trap him. Rukia took her position and used the fourth Hado, Byakurai. She had a particular affection for that one because she always had the impression that she was secretly saying his name. A small indulgence for her, as it was very rare that she dispensed with the usual formality of 'Nii-sama'. She sent out three more Byakurai, but her brother moved gracefully to avoid them, suffering no damage. Suddenly, she saw his lips move:

"Bakudo Nine, Geki," said his soft, deep voice.

All at once, Rukia's body froze against her will and she was surrounded by an aura of red light. It was a spell that paralysed its victim. Rukia swore between her teeth; her combat was not going to end like this! She had an image of herself; quite pitiful! At the same time though, this sort of spell was relatively easy to break if you had the strength and reiatsu. Moreover, she could see that Byakuya was not going to attack. He was testing her, trying to work out where her strengths and weaknesses were; he was evaluating her as he would any adversary.

Channelling her reiatsu, Rukia concentrated and let it burst out of her like a bomb. Her involuntary cry resounded through the clearing. Somewhat out of breath, Rukia tried to regather her thoughts. He wanted to test her kido; well she was not going to disappoint him. Raising her hand to her mouth, she said:

"Bakudo Four, Hainawa."

She released a powerful rope of energy on her attacker. Byakuya raised his hand towards her while deflecting it with the flat of his sword:

"Bakudo Thirty-Nine, Enkosen."

A circular shield appeared before him, blocking the cord of reiatsu. Rukia wasted no time and tried a new angle. The bakudo had not proved to be of much use. Focussing her energy anew, she sent out a new series of Byakurai, rapidly shunpoing between each. She wanted to avoid staying still; it would only make her vulnerable to his attacks. But Byakuya followed her shunpo easily. Time suddenly seemed to slow as she fought. Rukia noticed that, every time she reappeared from shunpo, Byakuya was catching her, finding openings. She must work out where he would appear next in order to protect her weak points. She realised then how much she still had to learn on the path to becoming an effective shinigami. And Byakuya was not even fighting at full power. Raising her hands before her, Rukia cried:

"Hado Thirty-One. Shakkaho."

The ball of fire exploded directly in front of the captain on Sixth Division, but he reappeared several metres away, unhurt. Suddenly Byakuya stopped and pointed at her. Rukia froze and tried to think at great speed. She had seen her brother adopt this position before. He was going to use Hado Sixty-One: Rikujokoro. The Six Points of Light Prison! But she knew for sure that she was not strong enough to free herself from that sort of spell. So, when she heard Byakuya pronounce the first syllables, she made to use a final Byakurai against his incantation, then focussing all her reiatsu and reaching her hand out before her again, Rukia cried: "Hado Seventy-Nine: Soken Sokatsui."

A vast blue light forked out towards Byakuya. She knew very well that he would block it too. But before he could defend himself, Byakuya could see that Rukia had already begun her second dance; the wave of ice was already emerging from the tip of her sword. Before it could reach him, Byakuya cried:

"Bakudo Eighty-One: Danku."

The ice slammed into his shield and passed to either side of it. Against his will, Byakuya's lips flickered towards a smile. He knew that Rukia was very good at kido, but this enchantment was not bad at all. And her attacks were controlled and precise. He was pleasantly surprised by her progress. Battling against his lieutenant or even against another captain was often brutal and painful. But Rukia fought with subtlety and sweetness. All her movements were so fluid that, even when she was evading him, Rukia moved with such grace and agility it seemed she truly danced for him. In that moment, she had absolute control.

He saw her dive towards him again, her sword raised. Byakuya was so entranced that he had no desire to evade her; he wanted to let her pierce his armour of ice, to embrace her and fall to the ground with her. She was graceful, pretty and intoxicatingly dangerous. In the last moment, his body responded with learned reflexes and he took a simple step to one side.

When Rukia saw that her enchantment had missed, she raised her sword and launched herself towards him, hoping to take advantage of the confusion before he could gather his thoughts. She knew that she was proficient in kido, but she had much more to learn from him. By Kami, this was Kuchiki Byakuya.

She saw him as she rushed towards him. And she felt a heat, now all too familiar; consume her completely as she plunged into those grey eyes. His features refined and controlled; his hair a deep black; his skin pale and his lips fine, and….. Ahh. Rukia bit her lip. Her dream tormented her even in her waking hours. And it was clear that training in the presence of such temptation was doing nothing to help things.

If only he would open his arms to her instead of presenting a sword. She was certain that his arms were strong and comforting, a place that she could shelter. Her gaze returned to his mouth and she felt the fire that burned her already turn into a conflagration in the pit of her stomach. Kami, she had wanted so often to taste those lips.

When she had returned to reality a little and had recalled she was attacking him, Rukia found herself surprised to see an expression of amusement on his face. Certainly, he wasn't laughing, but his eyes betrayed a desire that was perhaps as strong as her own. Thus, at the moment when the blade should have reached him, Byakuya slid gracefully to one side and Rukia slammed into the ground with very little elegance. When she sat up, out of breath, she heard:

"Chire, Senbonsakura."

Little lexicon:

Taicho / Fukutaicho Captain / Vice-Captain

Hado: Way of Destruction

Bakudo: Way of Binding

Omake

Rukia: AHHHHH! No, but that's not fair! You're releasing Senbonsakura against me.

Firebird: Be calm, Rukia. Everything's going to be okay.

Rukia: You're an author who's going to make a character die at the very beginning of the story?

Firebird: But no, you're not going to die! You're just going to…..

Rukia: Be shredded into pieces! Why don't you spend a month in a block of ice?

Firebird: Huh, what? O_O

Byakuya appears, looking annoyed.

Byakuya: If you choose to hurt Rukia, I will personally be on your case.

Firebird: Gulp. Leave a review, someone!


	4. Chapter 4

Here chapter 4, not much to say with this one. A big thank again to Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-chiro for the translation. She is such a sweetie^^

Disclaimer's are as before.

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CHAPTER 4: SAKURA STORM

And here is the next part of the combat. Thank you to all those who left a review. Thank you very much. ^^

Small detail: Bleach does not belong to me (unfortunately, because otherwise, Byakuya would become a little less innocent :p and yes, okay….. Bleach would become a little more smutty lol).

"Chire, Senbonsakura."

She stopped breathing. Still sitting on the ground, Rukia came back to the present. Briefly, she saw Byakuya standing before her, then her vision filled with pink. The millions of blades, each in the form of a single sakura petal, encircled her. She was poised in the centre of the storm and understood now that she could no longer escape. And she could not win or even leave without being reduced to pieces.

Oddly, she had no desire to escape the protective cocoon. The energy that turned around her was that of Byakuya. It was intoxicating. Suddenly, her body betrayed her and she reached out. Her breathing became laboured and her eyes widened with something like desire. Her subconscious had, in some way, reacted instinctively to his stimulus, her whole being, drugged, returned once more to the context of her dream. Because the energy that surrounded her in that moment was the one she associated with the dream.

Suddenly, he did something that Rukia had not anticipated. Some petals left the rapid whirlwind and approached her face.

"So this is it," she thought, with the last ounce of lucidity that remained in a mind consumed by desire.

The petals would fall on her and rend through her whole body. Preparing for the pain with all that was left of her awareness, she felt completely numb when they brushed against her cheek.

**They were soft!**

Rukia breathed out and touched her face, trapping the flowers in her hand. The blades had become soft and smooth like satin. A dozen more petals followed their trajectory. Rukia felt a wave of desire swallow her and she was lost even as a small moan escaped her lips.

Byakuya felt his stomach turn as he heard a small cry, and he quickly reined in Senbonsakura. He hoped with all his heart that he had not injured her. The vision he had in that moment appalled him; he could imagine Rukia curled up into a ball, protecting herself as best she could from the murderous flowers.

But no! She was lying, stretched out on the grass, her arms open. She was taking long breaths, though she didn't seem to be out of breath. In fact, she seemed far more relaxed than him. Her whole body gave the impression of peace, sleepiness and fragility, as if all her bones were suddenly gone.

Rukia stared at the sky in a kind of trance that left her at peace as she gradually returned to her senses. But, before she was fully awake, Byakuya had the chance to see her eyes. Suddenly, he froze. He was unaware of his other senses. His body stiffened and he realised that he could not come any closer to the beauty that lay before him. He couldn't even hear the rush of the waterfall behind him. He had the impression that the world had suddenly ceased to orbit the sun. He had difficulty swallowing when he saw those violet eyes, opened wide.

Passion. Intensity. Love. Desire. Indulgence. It was so strong that Byakuya thought he might have to take a cold shower before leaving for the division. Despite all his self-mastery, his dispassionate demeanour and control over his emotions, he suddenly felt weak at the knees, as if an invisible force pressed down on his shoulders. His blood pumped through his body at unimaginable speed. And, as graciously as possible, and without too much shame, he went down on one knee at her side.

So sweetly, she turned her head towards him, and in that moment, he knew he was defeated, defenceless, her prisoner. He would never be able to resist this. Rukia's lips began to move, but no sound left her mouth. Yet they formed a single word:

"Byakuya."

Once more he felt his heart go still in his chest and the air leave his lungs. The vision in front of him was so enchanting. All that he dreamed of doing in that moment was leaning in and kissing her. She was so beautiful. But, before Byakuya could give in to this urge, the inevitable occurred: Rukia came to, giving Byakuya a slight start. "Oh, by Kami, I'm sorry, Nii-sama. I didn't pay attention!"

He saw her blush furiously. This return to the normal Rukia reassured him somewhat and he was able to gather his thoughts. She smiled timidly at him.

"You are not hurt, Rukia?"

She touched her limbs as if to reassure herself that they all were, indeed, intact.

"No, I don't think so."

"Why didn't you free yourself from Senbonsakura?"

The question took her by surprise. Yet the answer was clear. Why had she not used her shikai against the petals? Why? Quite simply because she hadn't wanted to. When Senbonsakura had surrounded her, Rukia had had the impression that it was Byakuya himself who had taken her in his arms. "You could easily have counter-attacked, Rukia," continued Byakuya: "Why did you abandon the combat?"

"I didn't abandon it," said Rukia, flushing: "It's just that….."

What could she say? What could she say to him? Byakuya raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to continue the sentence. But Rukia didn't know how to explain what had happened next. She turned so that she was facing the waterfall. She could feel anew the entity that was sometimes present during her training sessions and it gave her a courage that she had never had before:

"I did not want to liberate myself, Nii-sama," she said, turning to face him: "It was so magnificent, so warm and comforting. Your reiatsu encircled me completely and the only thing that I could do, instinctively, was to embrace it. I felt safe there. Nothing existed apart from that. I felt so well in that moment that the thought of fighting you was completely beyond me. And then some of your petals touched me."

She tried not to see the sudden concern on Byakuya's face. "It was the most beautiful and sweet caress that I have ever had. So sweet, so warm, so tender. Apart from the touch of the petals, there was only you and I. I experienced feelings and emotions that have never affected me before."

When Rukia had finished speaking, Byakuya remained frozen, stunned. His heart was thundering in his chest. He was….. moved by what Rukia was telling him. No-one had ever spoken to him that way, with such love. He tried, with all his power, to maintain his icy calm, but the heat that filled him now held sway over him. An expression of tenderness, long-forgotten, touched his features and, with a slow smile, he said:

"Arigato, Rukia."

She returned the smile. For an instant, she was so surprised that he had made her smile in turn. Suddenly, though, she had the slightest sensation of burning and something hot ran down the length of her cheek. Rukia swore internally. She really had been cut. In fact, she had a thin wound across her cheek. When she went to cover it with her hand, Byakuya stopped her. She looked at him. There was a strange lure in the depths of those grey eyes that rendered her completely helpless. "Let me….."

Completely hypnotised by his grey gaze, Rukia let him. Byakuya placed his hand on her cheek and summoned his reiatsu, and Rukia struggled violently not to close her eyes against the sweet warmth of his hand. The power in his grey eyes unsettled her thoughts.

"Sumane, Rukia, my control of the petals is not yet perfect; it seems they are still dangerous. I should not have….."

"It's not serious, Nii-sama," said Rukia quickly: "I would not have missed this spectacle for anything in the world."

She suddenly noticed that Byakuya's eyes were no longer cold. No, on the contrary, they burned with an intensity so strong. The little cut on her cheek had closed up again in an instant, leaving no trace. And when Byakuya took back his hand, Rukia raised her own and put it over Byakuya's, holding his hand. Rukia hadn't known she possessed such courage. But she didn't want him to leave. She didn't want this to end. His hand was so soft and warm. Suddenly, a bird flew across the water and, all at once, time resumed. Rukia gathered her thoughts. She could not act like this; not with her brother. She promptly took back her hands and her cheeks reddened: "Gomenasai, Nii-sama. I forget my place."

Byakuya seemed troubled by her words and there was sadness in his voice when he spoke:

"Come, Rukia; it's time to leave."

"Hai," she said, softly.

They started back towards the manor. Passing through avenues of trees in blossom, Byakuya couldn't help but gaze at Rukia; he attempted to read her reiatsu, but her control had returned and he could sense little from it: a profound sadness, but also desire. He was confused; all he had wanted, in that moment, was to take her in his arms and tell her that, no matter what she said or did, her place in his heart would remain forever. And for a time, the silence between them seemed, to him, too heavy.

"Why do you train that way?" he asked her. "Do you find that the training periods in your division are not sufficient?"

Rukia hesitated for a moment. In fact, that wasn't untrue. There weren't a great many in her division who were of her calibre or who were not put off by her name. She had often asked Renji, but he was usually busy and Rukia was sharp enough to know that he held back when he was with her. She had asked Ichigo once, but had soon regretted it. In contrast to Renji, Ichigo didn't know how to hold back, and he was too strong for her.

"You see, Nii-sama, I want to become stronger," she said.

Byakuya was surprised by her response. As far as he could see, already today, she had shown him how much stronger she had become. She must be spending too much time with Renji. All at once though, a doubt wormed its way into his mind.

"Why this sudden desire?" he asked her.

"I would like the honour of becoming the fukutaicho of Thirteenth Division or, at least, an officer."

Byakuya tried to control his sudden fear. Ukitake, Rukia's captain, had often said that Rukia, with her talents, was worthy of being an officer. And he had also already mentioned the post of vice-captain. But Byakuya had, at those times, always had a quick word with him. It was because of Byakuya that Rukia was not an officer, much less a fukutaicho. He had always been afraid that she would be sent on a mission that was too hard or too dangerous for her, and that she would be injured or worse, that she would not come back. If the demand came from Rukia herself though, how could he oppose it? Now that he had seen the fire that burned in her eyes as she answered him, he was not so sure he could….. No, he would protect her from the world: the world and from herself, if he must.

"I wish you luck," he said, his tone neutral.

If only she knew! He longed to deserve the smile of joy that she offered him for his good wishes. Reaching the manor though, he turned to her: "You must go, Rukia. You are going to be late to your division."

"Thank you for the training, Nii-sama. I've found it very useful."

Byakuya nodded and she bowed, then departed in haste. Before leaving himself though, he gazed at his hand: this hand, which had touched her cheek and which she had taken and held. He was almost jealous. What should he think of all this?

Lexicon

_Sumane / Gomenasai: _Excuse me / sorry

I'm sorry if this chapter is a little short, but I swear the next ones are going to be longer. I'll post the next one as soon as I can.

Thank you to all those who are following the story. Tell me what you think to date. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Hey ! Here the chapter 5, sorry for the wait with the holidays and all, things gone crazy. A huge thank again for Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-shiro for the translate of this chapter.

_Disclaimers: Same as the last few chapters._

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CHAPTER 5: MISSION

Rukia took the path to Thirteenth Division. She felt strange. Far from feeling sick or even tired after all the reiatsu she had used during their 'private' training, she felt, rather, full of energy and life. Was that normal? It would usually be the reverse, wouldn't it? Perhaps, Rukia thought, she should speak with her captain about this. A smile touched her lips; she had always counted on Ukitake Juushiro to keep her counsel.

He was one of the oldest of the captains of the Gotei Thirteen and, although he had always had fragile health, he was strong and, in many ways, youthful on his good days. And, if Unohana was considered the mother of the Seireitei, Ukitake was the father: always warm and attentive. Since she had joined the Kuchiki clan, the advice he had given her was always sage, and he always succeeded in cheering her up when her thoughts were dark. Rukia had felt a strong connection to Ukitake ever since the night that Kaien Shiba died.

She quickly pushed away those bad memories; today, she was too happy for that. And it would be a lie if she were to claim that a certain noble was not already playing on her mind, distracting her. At last, Rukia arrived at the Thirteenth Division building. Entering, she heard her captain call out to her:

"Rukia, is that you?"

"Hai, Taichou," she said as she reached her captain's office.

He frowned as he looked up at her. "Is there a problem, Taichou?"

He scanned her face and then gave her a warm smile:

"Nan demonai, it's just that your reiatsu seems low today and I was worried."

She laughed nervously:

"Oh, that," she said, letting a small smile touch her face: "Let's say I had some special training this morning."

"Really?" said Ukitake: "What kind of special training?"

He saw her hesitate before responding:

"I trained with….. Nii-sama."

Ukitake stiffened for a moment before his previous expression returned:

"I see," he said, smiling: "Good. I will leave you to your duties; there is a captains' meeting in an hour."

Rukia smiled at him and bowed before leaving. Watching her go, Ukitake frowned again before relaxing his expression. He smiled:

"Ah, Byakuya, it's none too soon."

The old captain was sure that Rukia's reiryoku had increased dramatically over the past few months and he could see that in her. She was stronger, more assured in her actions and in every facet of her being. In effect, it really was time, in his opinion, for Byakuya to open his eyes. He was impatient to see the stoic captain now, to see what he thought of all this. Although, sometimes, talking to him was like talking to a wall. Yet, after a hundred years, he was still good at this game.

In fact, Ukitake had still lied to Rukia; her reiatsu was not low. Perhaps a little below her usual, but really nothing to worry about. It would regenerate throughout the course of the day. The thing he had lied about was the fact that Rukia was not radiating one reiatsu but two. All around her there was a protective, possessive aura of cherry blossoms. Ukitake gave a small laugh thinking of all the men and women in the division who would not understand why, in passing by the little shinigami, they would suddenly have the impression that they were a lot smaller.

"Hey, you seem to be in a good mood this morning," said a familiar voice.

Ukitake turned and saw the captain of Eighth Division, his long-time friend, Kyoraku Shunsui, coming towards him. At all times, the eccentric captain wore a kimono decorated with pink flowers over his haori. He liked sake and was an insatiable womaniser; he was also Ukitake's comrade when it came to teasing Byakuya.

"Ah, Shunsui. Just the man I want to see."

Shunsui looked surprised but curious. They started on their way to the First Division:

"Explain. You have me interested."

"Have you seen Kuchiki Rukia recently?"

Kyoraku raised his straw hat and looked at his companion:

"Not recently, though you told me her reiatsu has increased."

"And if I told you she had arrived at the division, unconsciously emitting two reiatsu?"

"Huh," said Kyoraku, amused: "I'm certain one of the reiatsu was hers, and to whom did the other belong?"

Ukitake's smile broadened.

"She apparently benefitted from a very noble training session this morning."

Kyoraku froze and his eyes widened for an instant before he let out a laugh:

"No…. It's not true! So you think he - ?"

"I don't know," Ukitake cut in: "But you can't imagine the extent to which his presence was on her. To start with, I even thought it might be him who had entered my office!"

"I can't believe it! It's about time! I can't wait to see how he's going to explain that away!"

Kyoraku looked up at his oldest friend and, with common accord; they both went into shunpo, hastening towards the meeting. The gauntlet had been thrown down: who could make Kuchiki Byakuya speak? They arrived at First Division in time to see the captain of Sixth Division entering the meeting room. Making one last shunpo, both captains approached the noble as if there were nothing remiss. Kyoraku hailed him first: "You seem to be on good form this morning, Kuchiki-taichou!"

Byakuya shot a cold glance at the eccentric captain. Knowing what he was like, it was difficult for Byakuya to ascertain if he should respond or ignore him. And he had either been drinking sake this morning or perhaps had not yet sobered up from the previous day. Nevertheless, Byakuya nodded politely. "Don't you think it's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing and….. the women are beautiful, aren't they?" The captain of the Eighth let out a long sigh.

But was he really that mad, the nobleman wondered. It was cloudy, there were no birds and, as for the women, he had no idea what he was talking about. Perhaps it was better to remain ignorant. While Kyoraku awaited some response, Byakuya let out a sigh and turned away, about to go into the meeting. Ukitake, seeing that his friend's techniques were not working, decided to intervene.

"Ah, Byakuya," he said, smiling: "Rukia told me about your combat this morning."

Byakuya stopped dead and the captain of Thirteenth Division thought that he probably wouldn't answer, as was his wont, or, if he did, it would just be with a slight nod of the head or something short and neutral. But he was shocked when the noble turned towards him and, with that same cold, calm expression, asked:

"She told you what happened?"

That stopped the two elder captains in their tracks. Those who might have known Kuchiki Byakuya for a very long time and who might have watched him very attentively, could have, in that instant, perceived an expression of panic. But, at once, the icy cold returned. Kyoraku, more surprised that he had responded, did not notice. Ukitake did though. He was at a loss for words. He tried to gather himself together:

"Uh….. No. In fact, she only told me that she had profited from your knowledge," he said, feeling a chill run up his spine.

"I see," the noble said simply.

He paused for several seconds: "Ukitake-senpai," said Byakuya.

Ukitake gave a start; it had been an eternity since Byakuya had used that title. He was serious. His tone was, at least in as much as the black-haired captain always was, but, this time, his manner betrayed a little concern. Preoccupation.

"Hai," said Ukitake, uncertain.

"Has Rukia asked you questions about bankai?"

Both elders started in surprise at the same time and let out an exclamation:

"I….. I know that her reiryoku has increased greatly in these past few months," Ukitake said, a little stunned. "But in terms of talking about bankai, I don't think so."

The noble let the silence extend between them while he decided if he would speak or not. It started to play on the nerves of the white-haired captain. He was talking about Rukia, dear Kami; she was like his daughter!

"Byakuya, why would Rukia be interested in bankai? She is not yet close. At this time, it's true, she would be perfect for the role of fukutaicho, but….."

He saw Byakuya's usual scowl, but the noble turned to look away. Ukitake and Kyoraku followed his gaze and saw that the Soutaichou had arrived. Their conversation should have ended there, but before Byakuya could take his place, the noble returned his attention to the captain of Thirteenth Division and spoke very quietly:

"Ukitake-taichou, Sode no Shirayuki materialised this morning."

The two old captains were so much in shock for a moment that they didn't notice Captain Unohana approaching from behind until she had laid a hand on each of their shoulders. They gave a start:

"Is everything alright, Ukitake-taichou?"

Ukitake let out a nervous little laugh:

"Hai, Unohana-san. There's no problem."

The mysterious gaze of the Fourth Division captain showed him that she was not convinced, but she did not pursue the subject. He retook his place beside Kyoraku who was looking even more thoughtful.

Silence fell once the captains were in line.

"Soi Fon-taichou," Yamamoto said simply.

"Hai," said the small captain who took a step forward. "In the Seventy-Eighth District of Rukongai, Inuzuri, an alarm sounded some hours ago, reporting the presence of several hollow. A team of shinigami on patrol have detained them, but they are rapidly breaking free. Detachments of Onmitsukidou have been sent as reinforcements. They reported that the enemies' number is increasing and that they have invaded the forest. They are still not sure if they intend to regroup and launch a sudden attack on Inuzuri."

"It's true that hollows are usually solitary," said Komamura-taichou: "If they are a group, then there is someone or something controlling them. Is there any news from our post in Hueco Mundo?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," said Soi Fon.

"The remnants of Aizen's power?" asked Ukitake.

"I don't believe so," said the nasal voice of Kurotsuchi: "We have permanent surveillance on the remaining Espada. Their powers have either changed or are sealed entirely. But, certainly, since the destruction of the Hogyoku, their power is not what it once was."

"It's embarrassing," said Kyoraku: "We still don't know how these hollow have managed to enter Soul Society in such large numbers."

"Hmm, there are plenty of sensors in the forest, but it is vast and we've had to spread them out to cover the territory," explained the captain of Twelfth Division: "There still exist plenty of areas in shadow that they could exploit if they chose to."

Soi Fon continued her report:

"Before we throw out questions like how and why, I should let you know that they are not merely a group of hollows. According to the report I received, we have no way of curbing the increase in their numbers. The detachment of Onmitsukidou and shinigami in place cannot hold out much longer."

This news provoked a stir amongst the captains. The only ones who remained unmoved were Byakuya and Yamamoto.

"Interesting," said Kenpachi, who had stayed silent until now: "It'll be a good opportunity to stretch our legs and go off in search of a decent battle."

"Not now, Zaraki-taichou," said the voice of the head captain, bringing them all to order: "But I agree with the captain of Second Division. Inuzuri must be protected. Sixth Division will be charged with holding the line between Inuzuri and the forest, until tomorrow."

"Why not now?" asked Kenpachi.

"Most of your division have only returned from a mission today. We are giving them a half day to recuperate. Your role will then be to lend a hand to the Sixth if it is needed and destroy any hollow you find in the forest. Kuchiki-taichou?"

The latter glanced up, giving the impression of a statue brought to life. "You leave within the hour. Take all the men and equipment that you need. A team from Fourth Division will accompany you."

"Hai, Soutaichou."

"Furthermore, there is a shinigami I would like you to include within your group, Kuchiki-taichou."

Byakuya glanced curiously at his commander-in-chief. What impossible task was he intending to give him? "Kuchiki Rukia."

Byakuya's façade very nearly slipped. Outwardly though, he simply scowled. Why mix Rukia up in this mission?

"Might I know why my sister qualifies for this mission in particular?"

The two men's eyes met for an instant. All the captains knew how protective the noble was when it came to his sister, even if he hadn't always been so demonstrative in the past.

"It has nothing to do with the mission. I've heard reports that your adopted sister has made remarkable progress with her reiryoku and her techniques have improved. Thirteenth Division has, for a long time, had the post of fukutaicho vacant. Ukitake-taicho thought of your sister."

"And what makes you think Rukia is ready for such a post?" asked Byakuya, sending an icy glance in the direction of his senpai.

Ukitake couldn't help but give an involuntarily shudder at the fire in those charcoal eyes.

"It is you who will tell us, Kuchiki-taichou. On your return, you will give a complete account of your observations," said Yamamoto: "Ukitake-taichou, do you wish to inform Rukia of her participation in this mission?"

"Hai, Soutaichou," responded the captain of Thirteenth Division.

"Now, if there are no other objections, this meeting is closed."

Byakuya at once moved towards the exit. He was angry. He did not like the fact that Rukia would be mixed up in this mission. And because he knew that Rukia was often nervous in his presence, which just increased her chances of being injured. He sighed internally; having been given a direct order from the Soutaichou, there was nothing he could do. He caught the eyes of the captain of Eleventh Division. That was the only good side. The disappointed expression of the Kenpachi was a temporary balm to his concerns. If that barbarian could learn a little patience, at least some good would have come from it. As he passed him though, Zaraki spoke:

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-taichou, we'll come save you."

Usually Kuchiki Byakuya would not let such teasing affect him, but when it was in regard to his honour or, in this case, the honour of the men of his division, he was unable to restrain himself. Moreover, there had always been tensions between him and the captain of Eleventh Division. They were extreme opposites, from their manners to their styles of combat. Byakuya found Zaraki Kenpachi to be uncultured, noisy, disrespectful, and without social skills. It was beyond him why such a man was a taicho. His strength was not negligible, but as for the rest….. Byakuya didn't offer him a glance, but continued on his way as he addressed him:

"You had better hurry then or all the work will be done. We wouldn't want you coming all that way for nothing."

* * *

Lexicon

Taicho / Fukutaicho = Captain / Lieutenant

Nan demonaï = It's nothing

Senpaï = Elder / Tutor / Teacher

Hai = Yes

* * *

There, the mission that you've been waiting for! I must admit that I enjoyed writing this chapter. For all those who are worrying, don't, Rukia is going to be having some thoughts in the next chapter that might be considered a little inappropriate….. if you see what I mean.

So, leave a review, send me your comments, constructive or otherwise. Lol.

* * *

Omake

Zaraki: Onna*….. (shouting)( *_Woman*)_

Firebird: HAAA! (I go into foetal position and play dead) _I'm going to die; maybe I should say a prayer…..Dear God….._

Zaraki: Oi! Author! (Takes hold of me by the collar and lifts me up high)

Firebird: (trembling) I'm very sorry, Mr Kenpachi. I beg you. Don't kill me.

Zaraki: You call me a barbarian, uncultured, noisy, disrespectful and all those other things I don't even know the meaning of.

Firebird: (Gulp) O_O…. T_T (_what was I thinking when I wrote that?)_

Zaraki: Ha! I love it! (lets me fall to the ground on my ass as he lets out a long laugh and go)

Firebird: O_O… Damn he's completely mad!

Byakuya: (Behind me) You understand my point of view now.

Firebird: HAAA! (faints)


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6: DEPARTURE

Ahh, I am very sorry for the wait, but it was a bit difficult to update due to the Christmas Holidays and all the family party ^^ Howerver I wish to all a Merry Christmas and Happy New year( because apparently, the end of the world has been avoided *-*)

A huge thank you again to Kuroi-Cho-Tsuki-Chiro for the translate of this chapter. She does an amazing job. Check her page ^^

_Disclaimers are the same as before. (sadly T_T) Anyway enjoy !  
_

* * *

Byakuya walked rapidly towards the division, all his thoughts converging on just one person. Already, their combat from this morning was going round and round inside his head; it seemed that Rukia was never far from his thoughts. He was happy, on the one hand, because he was going to spend a little time with her, but he would rather the circumstances were different.

He arrived, at last, at the Sixth Division building and went straight to his office. There, gazing out of the window, he let his mind roam.

"I can't stop thinking of her," he said to himself: "She's left an indelible stain in my mind. I would like the power to protect her, the power to take her in my arms when she's sad, the power to make her smile when she is content, to comfort her when she feels alone, the power to kiss her whenever I want and simply….. the power to make her happy."

No, he could not; he must not. Rukia was his sister, Hisana's sister. Yet, as much as Byakuya tried to rein in his thoughts by repeating these two little phrases like a mantra, he felt his heart grow heavy as he considered their fate. He sat down at his desk, feeling the weight of that which he could not accept. He thought perhaps he was going mad, feeling such emotions for the one person he could never show them to. Had it come to this? Was he being untrue to Hisana by feeling this way?

"If she were to feel the same, I don't think I could control myself," he thought: "When she touches me, even just in passing, the sensation remains, lingering on for minutes. When she smiles at me, I lose all focus. When she laughs, despite myself, I have the shadow of a smile. When she cries, my heart breaks into pieces. If she were to die….."

Could he let his heart speak?

Byakuya came back to reality when he realised that Renji was at the door, wearing an expression of puzzlement. Byakuya's mask fell quickly back into place and he gestured to his fukutaicho to come in.

"Is everything alright, Taicho?" he asked.

"Renji, ready the men. The Seventy-Eighth District of Rukongai is under attack from hollow. We leave in less than an hour."

The redhead froze in the face of this information.

"The Seventy-Eighth, Taicho? But that's Inuzuri."

Byakuya gave a distracted nod of the head as he pretended to look at his paperwork.

"…..Hollow, but….."

"You're wasting time, Renji. The division must be ready to leave in half an hour."

His fukutaicho choked over his words and turned towards the door.

"Renji!"

The deep voice of his captain stopped him in his tracks. Byakuya used the same tone when he arrived late, when he had not completed his work, or when he'd really messed up. Renji wondered what he'd done this time. He turned slowly towards his captain, who was staring at him. Despite himself, the redhead shivered at the power in those silver eyes. "The Soutaicho has assigned another soldier to our division for this mission."

Renji relaxed for a moment. The captain had not discovered the whereabouts of his latest stash of sake, or noticed that he frequently had Rikichi fill out certain of the paperwork for him. He was going to be alright.

"So who's the idiot we've been stuck with, and which division is he from?"

Byakuya was tempted to smile; it was exactly the same thought as had crossed his mind before the name of the person was announced:

"Kuchiki Rukia, Thirteenth Division."

Renji's first reaction was delight. If Rukia was going to be there, it would be pleasant. Then, after a moment, he asked his captain why the little shinigami had been officially assigned to the mission. "She must be evaluated for the post of an officer."

"Honestly, Taicho, you don't know how many times Rukia has dreamed of that."

The happiness of the redhead fades when he noticed that his captain's jaw was set.

"Go, Renji. I'll join you in a short time when all the men are ready to leave."

Renji didn't need to be told twice; he left to sound the alarm, which would indicate to all the soldiers that they must gather in the main court, ready to start their mission. One thing kept returning to his mind though: his captain's expression when he had first stepped into the office had been….. unusual. He had looked desperate, but, at the same time, so vulnerable, as if he was being forced to do something against his wishes. He had never seen such an expression on his captain's face. Renji came back to reality as he saw that the men were assembling, but the unsettled feeling would not leave him.

Rukia headed towards the common room in Thirteenth Division to learn what her duties were for the day. Suddenly a black butterfly flew down towards her and lit on her finger. All at once, the soft voice of Ukitake could be heard in the air around her:

"Kuchiki-san, I must ask that you report immediately to the Sixth Division's building. You are to participate in a mission in Rukongai during which you will be evaluated. Kuchiki-taichou will give you the details….. Good luck, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia felt her heart skip a beat in her chest. There were so many things, so much information, in so short a message! She was going to be evaluated. At last! Perhaps he was going to give her an officer's post. Rukia dared not think about that of fukutaicho for fear that she was wrong. That she might be promoted already meant so much.

She shunpo-ed towards the room she kept at the barracks. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of miracle had befallen her. Why this sudden decision? She had only spoken briefly with Byakuya this morning. As she shut the door behind her, the flow of her thoughts halted abruptly. Yes, it must have been Byakuya who had asked Ukitake and perhaps he'd…..

No, that made no sense. Byakuya had never interfered in her career as a shinigami. Even this morning, despite everything she'd said, she'd not felt confident that she could become an officer.

Then suddenly Rukia realised that going on a mission with Sixth Division meant that Byakuya was going to be there. Her mind was thrown into chaos. Kami, she had such trouble thinking clearly when he was there, she dare not imagine what that would do to her in the midst of combat, surrounded by hollow and the shinigami of Sixth Division.

_Rukia entered the building of Sixth Division and headed towards the captain's office. Entering the room, she realised that Byakuya wasn't there. Yet she could feel his reiatsu nearby._

"_Nii-sama?"_

_Rukia went to the window and saw the shinigami assembling for the mission. Suddenly, a deep voice cut through the air:_

"_Rukia."_

_She turned and froze when she saw Byakuya coming into the office from his personal quarters. Strangely, Byakuya was not wearing his scarf, or his kenseikan, and the collar of his shihakusho was loose as if he had just come from the shower. Rukia could see his bare chest and the firm muscles in his belly. All at once, her mouth was dry._

"_Nii-sama!" she exclaimed, suddenly short of breath._

"_Not now, Rukia, I need to talk to you. Come!"_

_Byakuya returned to his room. Rukia swallowed. His tone was dry and hard. He was angry. Why? She would go along with it. She must have done something wrong. Timidly, she went into the chamber in his quarters. She'd never been here, just as she had never been into his room in the manor. The atmosphere was intoxicating; she could feel him! Byakuya turned his back on her._

"_I….. I'm sorry, Nii-sama. I know that you're angry with me, but….."_

"_Rukia," Byakuya interrupted, silencing her._

_When he turned and moved towards her, his reiatsu flowed sweetly into the room and mixed with her own. Rukia started to breathe faster. Was she dreaming or was she really seeing the two energies merging to become one? Byakuya approached her slowly, like a predator. She suddenly felt the familiar heat building in the hollow of her belly. His grey eyes roved over her with a savage intensity._

_Byakuya's imposing stature was enough to force her to respect him and Rukia's small frame meant that she would not be able to fight him. She retreated with each step he took until Byakuya had backed her up against the wall. He only stopped when he was all but touching her. She turned her head aside, unable to sustain his gaze._

"_What is it that you believe, Rukia? That I am angry with you?"_

_His voice was soft and deep. She might have moaned had she not stopped herself._

"_Yes, I….. I think that….."_

_She tried, miserably, to form the words, but, even the scent of his body was enough to drug all her senses._

"_Look me in the eye," he ordered._

_Despite a powerful desire to remain of sound mind, Rukia found herself incapable of disobeying and plunged deep into Byakuya's silver eyes. Suddenly, he leaned into her, took both her wrists and raised them above her head, keeping them in place with one hand. With his other, he caressed her cheek as he had done this morning. A prisoner, Rukia shivered briefly as a torrent of fire invaded her body. "Tell me, Rukia, why do you think I am angry with you?" he murmured in her ear, his lips just touching it._

"_I think….. that you're against me….. getting mixed up in this mission," she said._

"_Do you really believe that, Rukia?"_

_His breath was hot against her neck, making her shiver beautifully._

"_H-Hai."_

_No, in fact, she didn't know anymore. The only thing of which she was certain now was that she was going to lose her mind._

"_You are mistaken, Rukia. On the contrary, I am happy that you are going to be with me."_

_He licked her earlobe slowly, inducing a little moan that Rukia was unable to contain._

"_Really?" she asked._

"_You want proof?"_

_Before she could respond, Byakuya pressed his hips against her. Rukia could indeed feel his stiff member as he rubbed himself against the base of her belly, making her cry out:_

"_Ah, Byakuya!"_

_She could think of nothing else. He possessed her mind, reducing all her words and thoughts to nothing. He possessed her body, leaving her soft in his arms._

"_Yes, Rukia. Can you feel that I am happy when you are close to me?"_

_Byakuya began to kiss her throat, then her shoulder and her neck._

"_Yes, I….. mmmmh."_

_Byakuya's free hand started to caress her back, running down the length of her spine to her buttocks then the back of her thigh. Rukia let out a deep groan filled with ecstasy and desire. Unconsciously, she pushed her hips against Byakuya's and he let out a deep gasp against her neck. At last, Byakuya let go of Rukia's wrists and straightened a little. He was satisfied to see that her violet eyes were completely filled with desire and she watched him avidly._

_Byakuya felt his own excitement intensify, until it was painful and this vision of Rukia's desire literally enflamed him. She gripped the edges of his shihakusho and pulled it off him as he submitted to a long, slow, burning kiss from her. Byakuya slid his hands once more down her back, across her buttocks, then he gripped her thighs and lifted her off the ground. Crushed between him and the wall, Rukia wrapped her legs around him. Her lips moved away from Byakuya's so that she could leave a trail of tiny kisses along his jawline and down his neck. Then, suddenly….._

Suddenly, Rukia heard knocking at the door. Her heart stopped.

"Kuchiki-san, is everything alright?" came the voice of Kiyone: "I felt your reiatsu go mad for a moment!"

"Yes, everything's fine, Kiyone," Rukia replied, hurriedly.

She grabbed her day-bag, rapidly putting on a change of clothes and rushing out of the room, nearly running into Kiyone: "Kiyone, what time is it?"

"It's just past nine thirty, but are you sure you're alright? Your cheeks are all red."

"Yes, yes, don't worry. I've got to go!"

Then she left at a shunpo and with a sigh of relief. She had only been daydreaming for a few minutes. If these dreams continued to trouble her, then it could get dangerous. What would happen if, right in the middle of a battle, in front of a hollow, she froze, trapped in a waking dream? She could be killed. But, Kami, who could she talk to about it? The very least anyone could say was that the symptoms were weird.

After several minutes, she arrived in the grounds of Sixth Division and saw the soldiers assembling. Should she risk going to look in Byakuya's office? A shudder ran through her: a souvenir from her fantasies. No, it was better to stay here and take the time she needed to regather her thoughts.

Suddenly, something white flashed into her field of vision and she turned to see Byakuya stepping proudly out of the barracks. Noticing her from afar, he turned her attention to her in an instant. Meeting his gaze, all of Rukia's doubts and thoughts vanished. She didn't even notice when Renji approached her.

"You'd better close your mouth, Midget, unless you want to catch flies."

"Wah!"

Rukia stepped back in surprise. How long had he been there? Going by his expression, long enough to have seen her drooling admiration for his captain. Rukia hurriedly tried to remake her countenance.

"What are you doing there?" she demanded: "Why aren't you preparing your men. I'm certain that's what Nii-sama would have told you to….."

"Ha, I know," he said nonchalantly: "But I was enjoying seeing the fish-face you were making in front of Kuchiki-Taicho. If only Ichigo could have seen you."

He let out a low chuckle and Rukia balled her hands into fists as she tried to regain control of herself. Renji was her childhood companion and the best friend she'd ever had, but he always knew exactly how to get on her nerves.

"Renji, what's the mission?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Hm," he responded, sobering a little. "I don't know much. Taichou only told me that Inuzuri has been attacked by hollow and we have to defend it."

"Inu….. Inuzuri?" said Rukia, a little disappointed.

She had really wanted the real world or at least Hueco Mundo. Although, in the end, the latter wasn't terribly tempting. Too much had happened there.

"Hey, I should let you know that you're to be evaluated on this mission."

"I know," said Rukia drily.

In fact, the mission did not trouble her unduly. After all that she had gone through in the real world with Ichigo, in Hueco Mundo when she had gone to save Orihime, or on any mission to which she'd been assigned, she had always come out of it okay, or near enough. No, what made her really nervous was the presence of Kuchiki Byakuya. Rukia resolved to show him the very best that she was capable of.

"Oh, you're nervous, did you say?" mocked Renji.

Rukia clenched her fists and took a deep breath:

"Not at all," she lied, in a tone she hoped was neutral: "I'm just going to do as I'm told. And you? Don't you have anything better to do than waste my time with things of no importance? As if I'm going to be nervous doing something I've been doing for the last fifty years!"

"Hey, Midget, calm down! You're starting to sound like Kuchiki-Taicho. I reckon you've been spending too much time with that block of ice. I hope you're not going to become like him, with a stick stuck up your arse."

Rukia's eyes widened in shock. Had he….. Oh yes, he had just insulted Byakuya.

Just before leaving the building, Byakuya became aware of Rukia's reiatsu. She was here. He stopped and took a deep breath. He need only keep control of himself and his emotions. It was something he did all the time. Everything would be alright. He had nothing to worry about. He stepped out of Sixth Division and, all at once, was met with Rukia's gaze from afar. An internal shudder seized him. If he had a little more time, he might have stolen over to her.

Noticing his fukutaichou behind the little shinigami, Byakuya succeeded at last in turning away and heading towards his men. Seeing that they were all nearly ready though, his gaze returned to the object of his thoughts and he saw that Rukia and Renji were arguing like children. He knew Renji was important to Rukia; he was her childhood friend. It was because of him that she had survived Inuzuri. But he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease when he saw the two of them together. Was it because he knew that Rukia had deep feelings for his fukutaicho? Or was it because he wanted Rukia to feel as comfortable in his presence as she was in Renji's?

At that moment, he saw the little shinigami strike the back of Renji's head violently, while snapping at him: _Bakayaro! _Okay, perhaps not quite so comfortable as that! At this distance, he couldn't help but allow himself a small, furtive smile. He didn't know what Renji had done, but he must have deserved it. He approached them.

"Rukia, please don't mistreat my fukutaicho. He may be useful for us on this mission."

"Hai, Nii-sama," Rukia responded at once, standing straight, stiff as a rod.

Had Byakuya heard what Renji had said about him? Apparently not.

"However," said Byakuya: "You may continue your conversation where it left off after our mission."

As if that were what she had been waiting for, Rukia directed a machiavellian smile at her childhood friend, then turned back to her brother, a picture of innocence:

"Nii-sama, was it you who requested that I join you on this mission?"

"No….. The order came directly from the Soutaichou."

Rukia's eyes grew even wider. If the Soutaicho himself had asked it, perhaps her dream was closer than she thought. It was time for her to do her best. Moreover, Byakuya would be there to see all her little faults and efforts. With those silver eyes that could see all, if only he could see into her heart. Byakuya glanced at Renji who moved away towards the shinigami. Returning his gaze to his little sister, he noticed that she seemed even more lost in her thoughts than she had been this morning. She looked away suddenly and her cheeks coloured. It only took a little for Byakuya to find it endearing.

Rukia is my sister, he said to himself. She is Hisana's sister and, moreover….. I'm happy when she is near me. I like to know that she's alright. I like the colour of her eyes, how that long strand of her hair falls always down the centre of her face, no matter how many times she brushes it away. And even though I could let her know, it's enough that she comes to see me a little more often these days. I even like to hear about what she's done each day. I like the way she blushes when she looks at me, how, each time, when I look at her, she seems to forget what she had been about to say. I have been…."

Byakuya realised suddenly that the bond between him and Rukia had changed profoundly. At the very beginning, she had been his wife's dying wish; she had been the pale shadow of a ghost. Then she had become his pride, something that he would defend with his life. But now, Rukia seemed to have become something more. Byakuya reined in his thoughts and saw that everyone was ready. The line of shinigami stepped into shunpo, leaving the grounds of Sixth Division, blindly following their captain.

Rukia stepped into shunpo with the others and allowed her mind to wander. She didn't really know why she wasn't to be evaluated by her own captain. Ukitake knew better than anybody how she fought. But, knowing her captain and the laws of the Goteï Thirteen, the Soutaicho probably wanted her to be evaluated objectively. And who was better placed for that than Kuchiki-Taicho?

Rukia felt a little lonely in that moment, amongst all the shinigami. She didn't know them well. The only link she had with Sixth Division was her brother and his cretin of a fukutaicho. It worked both ways, it seemed, because most of the soldiers of Sixth had no idea who she was. Even if some of them knew her name or the fact that she was the adopted sister of their captain, they knew nothing else about her. Those that didn't regard her with curiosity did so with open mistrust. She sighed. This was going to be a long day, and she groaned internally. No, she would stand proud and try to be noble, like Byakuya.

The division crossed the Seireitei before passing out of the gate and into Rukongai. The difference between the two quarters was like day and night. Paved alleys gave way to paths of beaten earth, brick buildings to houses made from wood. Sooner than Rukia would have liked, they arrived in the district of Inuzuri. They stepped out of shunpo, marching now to the brisk rhythm set by Byakuya.

Everyone watched them pass with fear and respect; more the first than the second. Rukia shot a glance at Renji and saw that he was in the same state as her. So many memories assailed them: more good than bad. They had grown up in this quarter. They had suffered, had laughed, had fought, had sometimes been sick, sometimes in good health. They had taken care of children and they had seen death, sometimes caused by hollow, sometimes by disease. At that moment, Renji leaned towards her and murmured:

"Don't let it get to you, Rukia. It's going to be okay. I'm here. Just like I was at the beginning."

And he offered her a broad smile, which she returned. If she was honest, she was happy to have Renji at her side. Yes, they had lived in this rundown quarter. They had walked on bare feet, their sights set on a future where they did not have to live as vagabonds. They associated this place with survival, with privation, with difficulties, and with truths. But throughout it all, they had survived, and, despite everything, they were still here, and they had left stronger than when they had arrived. They were stronger still now. Of all the shinigami, they alone were under no illusion that their comfortable lives could not be shattered by what awaited them here.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey guys or girls, sorry for the long long wait for this update. Seem RL can be chaotic sometime. Again, say a huge thank you to Kuroi-cho-tsuki-chiro for the translation

Disclaimers are always the same: I dont own bleach sadly. (maybe it better like this because I have a perverted mind)

* * *

CHAPTER 7: RESCUE

Arriving at the place where they had been asked to hold the line, Sixth Division took their position. The shinigami on patrol and the detachment of Onmitsukidou from Second Division were relieved of their duties and sent back to the Seireitei. They spoke briefly with Kuchiki-taichou, letting him have the latest details. All was calm for the moment, but all could feel the presence of several hundred hollow in the forest. No shinigami could be in any doubt about the nature of their mission. Byakuya spent several seconds examining the forest with his reiatsu, then pointed vaguely in front of him towards the last of the houses before the forest.

"Hado no 4, Byakurai."

A vast ray of blue light shot from his finger to land in the place that would become their field of battle. The kidou tore a line through the earth, delimiting the terrain. Byakuya turned back to his men.

- Our mission is to defend this line. No hollow will be allowed to cross it and we shall hold it until the Eleventh Division take the field tomorrow. No-one is to approach the forest. Stay near Inuzuri.

Rukia couldn't help but admire the seriousness and professionalism of Sixth Division. The men assembled without Byakuya having to say a word. And, as she listened to him issue orders, looking around she could see all the deference and loyalty the man had for their captain. They could have no fear so long as Kuchiki-taichou was at their head. Rukia was certain that none of them would cede even an inch of the terrain. She set aside her anxieties and let herself relax amidst the reiatsu of admiration she felt all around her. She was feeling much better.

Yet, even as Rukia was starting to think that this mission need not be so disastrous as she had anticipated, everyone heard cries coming from the forest. But these were not the howls characteristic of hollow. Everyone turned towards the trees. Rukia moved towards Renji. A sudden fear settled in her chest and chilled her blood. The cries came again, closer this time. It was clear now that…..

"They're children," Rukia gasped: "Renji, there are children in the forest!"

And, as if she had conjured them with her words, two small silhouettes broke the cover of the trees at a run. They ran as fast as their short legs would let them. But suddenly Rukia's breath caught in her throat as she saw the trees part and a hollow burst out in pursuit of the children. The little ones looked up and, seeing the shinigami line, stopped suddenly, frightened.

Fortunately the approach of the monster behind spurred one of the little boys to continue on his course, tugging his companion along with him. But in his haste, he lost hold of his friend. Within seconds, the hollow was alongside the two boys and the first threw himself over the other, screaming. Rukia, who could see the past and the present superimposed painfully, one over the other, could not prevent herself from stiffening as she witnessed this scene.

When the hollow's claw fell upon the children protecting one another, she could hold herself back no longer. She broke into a sprint. Passing between Renji and her brother, she unsheathed her sword and cried out. Yet even before her name was called, the blade changed to pure white with a ribbon uncoiling behind her like a train of snow.

"No Rukia!" cried Renji.

But she didn't hear. She disappeared a second later, teleporting in shunpo towards the cries of the children and the hollow, perhaps seeing more clearly those of the past than those of the present: the two children who were trapped, prisoners of those claws. Rukia landed at the feet of the monster and started to cut the air before her. The beast never knew what hit it.

"Some no mai…..tsukishiro."

A circle appeared on the ground and a pillar of ice rose up towards the sky, imprisoning the body of the hollow. The arms that had held the infants remained hanging in the air. Rukia sprung forward quickly to retrieve the two young ones. They were trapped, one against the other, in the giant's palm, their eyes shut, their bodies trembling. Rukia reached out to them: "It's alright. You have nothing to be scared of."

The two children let go of each other warily and regarded her. She could see, in their eyes, both their overreaching fear of the hollow, but also their natural reverence and mistrust for shinigami. She tried to reassure them with a smile and offered them her hand again: "Come on. I'm going to take you to safety."

Hesitating for a moment, they looked at one another then turned towards the proffered hand. Suddenly, Rukia was seized by a cold terror. Realising that they were too close to the forest, she saw, in the next instant, a dozen tentacles reaching out from the trees, encircling them and filling her field of vision. The children started to cry again, but Rukia lunged once more, cutting down the appendages, mid-flight, trying to get back to the line of shinigami. With the weight of the children in her arms, she couldn't break into shunpo. But she tried to hurry as she saw the hollow's feelers charging towards them.

Rukia gritted her teeth, preparing for pain, knowing that she was not fast enough to avoid them. She was still too far from the shinigami, but, if she could protect the children then it would be worth it. Even as they came dangerously close to reaching her though, the tentacles encountered a sudden resistance and were, moments later, cut into pieces. She heard a cry of pain from the hollow in the forest and the bloody stumps retreated.

Still running, Rukia wondered what could have stopped them. Then she saw several pink petals fluttering in the air before her eyes, as they swept back towards the captain of Sixth Division, to reform as his sword's blade. Rukia glanced towards him. Byakuya had saved her again. On that count, she had already shamed herself. With horror, she realised that she had also just disobeyed an order given by a superior officer only moments before, which would explain the troubled expression on her brother's face. He had ordered that nobody approach the forest. "Well done, Rukia. You've really done it this time," she said to herself.

And despite the fact that it had been for a good cause, the bitter sense that she had once again failed the name of Kuchiki stuck like bile in her throat. As soon as she was back behind the line, Rukia let go of the two little boys who, at once, hid themselves in the folds of her skirts, clinging to her hakama, frightened at finding themselves suddenly surrounded by shinigami. When she had regained her breath she heard:

"Hey, Midget, you're not right in the head! What made you run out like that? I thought you were smarter than that, but it looks like Ichigo's had a bad influence on you!"

"Renji, I….." she began.

"What? I don't even want to hear what's going to come out of your mouth, Midget! If you act that stupid, then you don't get to talk! Well done for the rescue, Baka. You almost got yourself killed!"

Rukia realised that, if he continued in this way, then Renji was very soon going to meet with her fist, but she restrained herself. He was in his right and he was lieutenant of Sixth Division and he was still her best friend. In fact, it wasn't the redhead who frightened her all that much; that advantage belonged to the firm and rigid figure she could sense several meters behind him, to Kuchiki Byakuya. Renji was still scolding her when suddenly one of the children came out of hiding and took a step forward, pointing at the redhead.

"_Oroka mono," _he cried in a small voice.

Renji froze before the sudden anger of the little boy. "Stop yelling at Nee-san at once! She saved our lives. She was the only one who came for us. The only one, Baka, who wasn't frozen with fear like a complete beginner! And what's with your eyebrows?"

_Nee-san, _thought Rukia. _I think I've been adopted….. again._

But, in watching the young boy take her defence, she couldn't help but feel herself warm to him. It was one of the good things about Inuzuri that it forged the sentiment to defend and protect those you held dear, no matter what enemy you faced.

"_What?" _ said Renji, who was always susceptible to the bait: "Half-pint! You should be polite when you address your elders!"

"Too late, Eyebrows!"

While Renji and the little boy argued, Rukia was surprised to find herself surrounded by an unknown reiatsu. It wasn't Renji, or Byakuya. No, it came from the two children. It was barely perceptible, but, pressed against her as they were, she couldn't be mistaken. Strangely, the energy of one seemed to complete the energy of the other. It wasn't surprising that the hollow had been attracted to them. It would be interesting to see what they became when they grew up if, of course, Inuzuri gave them that chance. Rukia thought that she could, perhaps, given destiny a little push today. Yes, she would help them. She didn't know how yet, but she would help them.

ooOOOooOOOoo

For his own part, Byakuya took in the scene with some amusement. To see his fukutaichou overwhelmed by an infant was quite funny, but he did not let the emotion show on his face and remained impassive.

That was not the case a few moments ago. He had never thought that a mission with Rukia would make him so edgy or test his self-control to this extent. When he had seen her rush out she had looked like a true warrior. She had shown skill in shunpo, had eliminated the hollow with grace and poise to save the children, and he had felt pride. And, even if it had ultimately been he who had saved the two boys, that did not mean he had not admired the spectacle. Yet he had felt his heart stop in his chest when he had seen the movement in the forest. His pulse had become rapid when he saw the tentacles lunge towards her. Yet, despite his fear, it was anger that had made him release Senbonsakura.

Because yes, he was very angry. Thoughtless! Had she no consideration for her own life? She had rushed straight out without knowing if she would make it back. She'd even disobeyed an order he had just given. It was just one more reason why he didn't want Rukia to be a fukutaichou: she was just too impulsive. He frowned. No, Rukia wasn't like that. This wasn't like her. He must try to understand.

Rukia saw her brother approaching and, even at a distance, she was aware of the cold anger running through his reiatsu despite his apparent calm. He stopped about a meter away from her and met her eye. The cold surrounded her. At once, the little boy, who had been arguing with Renji, turned to face Byakuya, preparing to square up against a new opponent. But as soon as he saw the nobleman's eyes, the child lowered his gaze and tried to return again to the security of Rukia's robes.

"Nii-sama…." she murmured.

The two little ones regarded her, wondering why their saviour seemed so sad when she turned to face her brother. Rukia went down on her knees and put her hands on the ground, lowering herself to the height of the children.

"Nee-san….."

"_Gomenasai, _Kuchiki-taichou. I disobeyed you and I am ready to receive any punishment you see fit to inflict on me."

Byakuya let a heavy silence stretch between them before he at last broke it:

"Say your good-byes, Rukia, and follow me," he instructed her, turning away.

He turned a neutral gaze upon his fukutaichou who at once took things in hand, directing the men back to the line and preparing them for battle. Rukia turned towards the two little boys and smiled at them.

"You've been very brave," she said: "You'll be alright now. Have you got somewhere to go where you will be safe?"

They nodded their heads, yes.

"Good. Hurry along then and thank you for having come to my defence. Go now, and look after one another!"

"But Nee-san," protested the quieter one.

"Not a word. Everything's going to be alright. Just make sure you stay far from the forest. I promise that we'll see one another again."

She smiled at them again, then turned towards her waiting brother.

They walked together in silence for a time and Rukia felt the full weight of his quiet on her shoulders as if it were the whole of the earth that she were having to bear on her back. Byakuya stopped when they were a short distance from the camp. He could sense the tension in each of Rukia's muscles.

"Why did you act that way?" he asked.

She stared at him, not knowing how to respond. "Usually," he said, "Your actions are more tactical than instinctive. Moreover, it seemed to me that, once you reached the edge of the forest, you ran out of ideas." _Why were you so imprudent? Did you even think about what could happen to you?_

Byakuya realised that her reiatsu was agitated despite the control she was trying to exert over it: "What happened, Rukia?"

He saw her take a deep breath:

"I….. I don't know what happened to me, Nii-sama. When the hollow trapped them I….. had to act. I was only thinking that someone had to do something, and then I found myself running in the direction of the children. I could not watch without doing anything….. again."

Byakuya felt all his determination to remain cool vanish at the sadness in her voice. He turned away, heading back towards the division. "Nii-sama, I….."

"I have not yet decided your punishment, Rukia. We will see to that later. You must go back to the others."

"Once more, I'm sorry. Arigato, Nii-sama."

He turned only his head:

"Why do you thank me, Rukia?"

She lowered her eyes for a moment.

"For the children and because you saved us."

Byakuya finally turned towards her and noticed that a single tear had made its way down her cheek. Why did she cry? He had not been cruel. Perhaps he'd been a little upset, but why did he feel this anguish throughout her reiatsu. Hesitantly, he put one hand on her delicate shoulder. So fragile, and yet….. She looked up, surprised.

"Rukia, I don't want to force you to say things you don't want to say, but I will always listen if that's what you need."

Rukia forced herself to meet his gaze. In his grey eyes she could see no anger anymore and no resistance. It was the first time that she had seen, from him, a gaze so tender. And it was only because she knew she could trust him that she let the words spill from her mouth:

"I….. Nii-sama, the reason that I acted in such a way was because I have lost friends in the same circumstances. It happened several years before we first met. We were five: Renji, me and three other children. In returning to Inuzuri, through this forest, we were not paying attention, and we did not see the hollow appear behind us. It all happened so fast we barely had the time to register it. It cut straight through one of my friends with its claw. Finally realising the danger, Renji and I immediately went to the aid of our friends. The monster struck us with the back of its hand, throwing us quite a distance. A moment later, I regained consciousness only to see a giant hand fall on both my friends who were huddled together, screaming. I had to flee with Renji, because he was injured, but that was the last time I saw those two alive. It was after that that we decided to be shinigami. If we had been stronger that day, or if I had put myself between them and the hollow, perhaps….."

Rukia fell silent, her sudden courage stolen away. She didn't think that she could say any more. Byakuya realised, with that confession, how very little he actually knew of Rukia. He knew her as she was today, but he was ignorant of her past: the trials she had suffered, the sacrifices she had had to make, and even the people she had been forced to say good-bye to. He had to admit that he'd never tried to learn more about her. But, in learning of this tale, Byakuya knew he wanted to be closer to Rukia, though he wasn't certain if uncovering her past would be a good thing or a bad one. He turned away.

"We will talk again, Rukia. Go back to the others."

Rukia nodded and hastily rejoined the line of shinigami.

_Don't be so keen to sacrifice your own life, Rukia._

ooOOOooOOOoo

As they returned to the line of shinigami neither the captain nor the little shinigami noticed the bright red eyes that watched them both. The beast's small, malicious laugh was lost in the wind as he flew into a sonido.

ooOOOooOOOoo

Before returning to his fukutaichou, Byakuya glanced towards Inuzuri. He could barely believe that Rukia had grown up here. Though he knew his childhood amongst the nobility had been difficult, at least he had never had to fight to eat and to survive.

Suddenly his gaze fell on the two young boys that Rukia had saved. They were hiding in a corner of the nearest building of the quarter, spying on the shinigami, but their reiatsu made them easy to discern. As Rukia had remarked earlier, he was aware of a strange flow of reiatsu between the children, like a circle that turned without ceasing.

Byakuya took a little pleasure in hiding his own energy and stepping into shunpo to reappear just behind the children. They tensed suddenly, feeling his shadow at their backs. Terror seized them when they turned round and saw the captain of Sixth Division standing before them. At once they fell to the ground just as frightened as if Byakuya had been a hollow.

"You mustn't stay here," he said in a cold voice.

The little ones swallowed and tried to make themselves so small that they might disappear from the imposing captain's view. But just as they made their way past him, Byakuya sensed something strange and acted without thinking: "Wait!" he commanded, turning round.

The two boys froze at once, the smaller of the two keeping a firm grip on his companion's arm. "Be still," Byakuya said in a reassuring tone: "I'm not going to hurt you. I want to give you something."

Curiosity outweighed their fear and the children obeyed. Slipping down on one knee so that he was at the same level as the children Byakuya took, from the pocket of his shihakusho, a small piece of metal attached to a cord. The pendant was the emblem of the house of Kuchiki. The two children gasped in wonder. "This is the seal of my family," said Byakuya, "And, for a little time, it will protect you. Wear it until you can no longer feel heat coming from it."

He held the pendant in his other hand and infused it with his own reiatsu. It would be a charm that would nullify the reiatsu of these children. He offered it to the children who touched it, feeling the gentle warmth emitted by the metal. The more timid of the two looked up at him and asked:

"Mister, why were you angry with Nee-san?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow:

"I was not angry with her."

The other child, the wiser one, cried:

"Ha! We know how to read people's emotions. I know what I saw! It was definitely anger!"

The boy had, without knowing it, read his reiatsu. Interesting.

"What's your name, young man?"

"Riku."

Byakuya turned towards the more timid one:

"Sora."

The captain was tempted to smile: the earth and the sky. It was hardly surprising that the children's reiatsu seemed to complement one another.

"Riku, how would you react if Sora was injured while trying to accomplish something good?"

"Ha, I would tell him that he was stupid for putting himself in danger for nothing!"

"You would be angry even if you didn't want to be. And you would take care of him."

Riku was about to respond but fell silent. Byakuya's reasoning was suddenly apparent to him. "Even if you knew he had done something good, you would be angry that he had been injured, but you would take care of him because he is dear to you, and you would be worried for him."

"But Nee-san wasn't injured," Sora protested.

"No. Because I protected her. Just as you are not injured because she protected you."

The two children were silent. Byakuya stood up and saw Riku frowning and staring at the ground, his expression sad:

"We're only children. We can't protect ourselves alone. When a danger is too great, we run away. If we can't run fast enough then we try to make ourselves smaller so we don't get noticed."

"Yet you didn't hesitate to confront my fukutaichou."

"The one with the funny eyebrows?" asked Riku, shrugging his shoulders. "He was more worried about Nee-san than anything else and, anyway, that kind of attack only works with idiots….. But, against real enemies, it never works. We can't defend ourselves. And, in this quarter, your survival is a prayer you make every day."

"Rukia came from this quarter," said Byakuya.

"But she's so strong!" said Sora.

"She learnt to be strong. She fought for her life and she trained to become more powerful. Just like you could too."

Riku and Sora looked at one another.

"Children, I can sense your reiatsu. I'm sure Rukia could feel it too and it's undoubtedly the reason the hollow chose to hunt you."

"Our what?" demanded the children.

"Your energy. Become shinigami and you will learn not just how to survive."

"How?" gasped Riku.

Byakuya looked closely at the two children. They were a little older than Hitsugaya-taichou had been when he entered the academy. The captain lifted his hand and released his reiatsu, calling on a black butterfly. There was one person in Rukongai who could take care of them while they waited for their power to reach its full potential. He dictated a message to his old friend and turned towards the children.

"I must return to be with my soldiers. Follow the butterfly. It will guide you to a friend. Rukia and I will come and find you."

The two children went to follow the insect, but then Sora returned and bowed his head. He was wearing the talisman against his chest.

"Arigato, Kuchiki-sama."

Byakuya watched the children leave then returned to the forest. He saw the silhouette of Rukia watching him from afar. A slight smile touched her lips. He felt heat consume him. For once, he thought, he had done something right and he was happy that Rukia had witnessed it. He had to admit, going to the aid of Rukongai's children was not something that he would have done on instinct. But when he had seen how important the children had become in Rukia's eyes, he could not have done otherwise.

Byakuya deliberately remade his mask. Kami, he was on a mission! This was not the time to be tender! He turned his attention to the forest, trying to work out a plan to defend it. After a time though, he discovered that this was harder and harder to do. It was as if something was trying to dominate his logical mind and obliterate the control he had over his emotions. The temptation to glance at the little shinigami was so strong.

ooOOOooOOOoo

For her own part, Rukia could not stop smiling since she had seen Byakuya with the children. And she wondered if her sister, Hisana, would have had children, despite her frail health. How would Byakuya have coped? She gave a small laugh. Even if it might have been awkward at times, he would have made a wonderful father. Rukia tried to clear her head and concentrate on the orders that Renji was giving her. If she wanted to become an officer, this was not the time to daydream. Yet even as Renji finished speaking, the cries of dozens upon dozens could be heard and the horizon was filled with a vision of horror.

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Lexicon:

Onmitsukid_ō_: Second Division's Ninja Squad

Baka: Idiot

Oroka mono: Coarse brute, huge idiot.

Nani: What...

Gomen nasaï: I'm sorry

Arigato: Thank you

That's it for chapter seven. Leave your comments: good, bad; it doesn't matter.


	8. Chapter 8

So here is chapter 8. There's a bit of blah-blah at the beginning, but there's a little treat at the end^^. Take a time to say a huge thank you to Kuroi-cho-Tsuki-chiro for the translation, her job is amazing and Im so happy thaht she is my beta for this story ^^

Disclaimers are the same than the last chapter ^^

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CHAPTER 8: ENTER IN MY DREAMS

The shinigami lined up hurriedly. Before them, hollow were pouring out of the forest. Renji stepped forward, Zabimaru already drawn and a small smile of anticipation on his face that Rukia knew well.

"Hah! Don't overreach yourself with these! Protect your back and your comrades and, if you're going to get killed, you will be on chores when we return to the base."

Rukia let Renji's excitement win her over. Yes, it would be good to let out her frustration on these. All the shinigami drew their swords and stepped up to the line that Byakuya had made earlier. There, they started to kill any hollow that tried to cross it. The strength of these hollow compared to their own forces was weak; they were hollow of the lowest level. Renji approached Rukia, cutting through the monsters before him: "Rukia, do you think they're mocking us?"

"I know, Renji. I noticed they aren't very strong," said Rukia, cutting through the mask of a serpent hollow.

"Not very strong!" repeated Renji: "It's almost insulting! Fuck, Kuchiki-taichou could sneeze and kill three!"

"Renji," said Rukia doubtfully: "Have you ever seen Nii-sama sneeze?"

"Errmm, no, but no matter, I could take out all of them with Zabimaru!"

Rukia's face broke into a smile. That was just like Renji!

"I imagine so, but preserve your energy. I think we're going to be here for a long time."

"Huh." said Renji, jumping onto a hollow's back so that he could cleave it in two: "A mission that's too easy, a pointless exercise without any interesting combat, and in Rukongai too! Could it get any worse?"

At that moment, it started to rain. To start with, it was just a few drops, but a moment later, the downpour intensified to such an extent that it turned the battlefield to mud.

"Baka!" cried Rukia: "You couldn't have just kept your mouth shut instead of boasting like Zaraki-taichou?"

"I know, I know," groaned Renji.

All day, the hollow kept on coming, but now that the shinigami were in formation, the monsters were eliminated rapidly. However, their abundance was soon offering Sixth Division little respite. Despite the feebleness of their adversaries, they were grossly disadvantaged in number. Soon they had all fallen into the mindset of combat. Few spoke, preferring to concentrate on the mood of the battle, not because the hollow present represented a threat of serious injury but because there were just too many.

At one moment in the battle, Renji shouted new orders. The sheer number of hollow had already caused some injuries; the shinigami were going to have to change their tactics. They would fight in pairs, each protecting their comrades back. Despite the reigning chaos, teams formed up rapidly. Rukia was paired with a veteran. He was called Kazuki Daisuke and had been Fourth Seat of Sixth Division for a long time. As soon as she felt him at her back, Rukia turned briefly to regard the soldier. Daisuke returned the glance and acknowledged her with a nod of the head.

The one thing Rukia didn't know was that Daisuke had not been placed with her by accident. No, while he had been fighting the hollow, their captain had given him a mission: he must evaluate Rukia's combat style. Despite the way this mission was going, she was still under constant evaluation.

At a chosen moment, their captain joined the battle, using only his techniques of swordsmanship, giving a fresh boost to the fading morale of his soldiers.

Towards the end of the day, the waves of hollow started to thin out, then ceased altogether. A strange silence fell suddenly over the field of battle. There were several exclamations of joy, but Rukia, glancing towards her brother, understood that it wasn't over. He kept his eyes fixed on the forest. Renji approached him: "So, Captain?"

"It isn't over," Byakuya responded simply.

Renji let out a discreet curse. "I think they're waiting for something," said the noble.

"Should we advance into the forest, Taichou?"

"No. That's not our mission. We have only to defend Inuzuri."

A soldier approached and gave his captain two beacons; he gave one to his fukutaichou. Renji and Byakuya stepped into shunpo, heading towards the forest, each going to the far end of the battlefield and setting up the beacons. If a hollow passed between these two points, an alarm would sound, letting the shinigami know to get into position. Byakuya and Renji returned to the Sixth Division. "I want a guard posted. As to the others, they can take a rest."

"Hai, Taichou," answered the soldiers of Sixth in unison.

Although most of them went to take shelter from the rain at a rest-point set up not far from the last houses of Inuzuri, Rukia turned to her partner and bowed low.

"Thank you for your protection today."

"I should thank you equally for yours," said Daisuke, returning the honour.

Altogether, he felt that the little shinigami had done well save for a few times when he had had to fight for two. But, for an unranked shinigami, that was very good. Suddenly, lightening lit the sky and he heard distant thunder. All at once, Rukia gave a little start and a tiny glimmer of fear danced in her violet eyes.

"Is everything alright, Kuchiki-san?"

"Er….. Yes, yes, everything's fine. And call me 'Rukia."

Daisuke frowned but didn't press the point. After a few words, he took his leave of the little shinigami. He wondered if he should report his observations at once to his captain or whether he should wait and put them in his report at the end of the mission.

In returning to the rest-point of the shinigami, Rukia turned an anxious gaze towards the sky. The falling rain rendered impossible the idea of keeping anything dry that was not already under shelter. A large canvas sheet had been erected as a tent to keep the shinigami dry from the rain. Once under cover of the tarpaulin, Rukia tried to wring out her hair and clothes a little. She had certainly brought a change of uniform, but given that she would be returning to play in the mud in a few hours time, it probably wasn't worth changing. Furthermore, there wasn't really a quiet place where she would be able to do that, except for the medical tent where she would find Hanataro, or the captain's tent. She wanted to avoid that one even more than the medical tent at the moment!

She sat down in a relatively dry corner and rested her head on her kitbag. She tried to relax despite the rain, the noise and the distant thunder. Rukia was afraid of storms; it wasn't a phobia, but she couldn't shut her eyes. It was only Renji who knew that her little problem stemmed from a time in her childhood. But she knew that she really must rest to be fit for tomorrow and alert for her watch. A gust of wind shook the roof and Rukia curled into herself a little. Perhaps she should go and ask Renji to knock her out? She imagined her brother seeing his fukutaichou beating his sister. Bad idea, and one that would end painfully for Renji! "What would Nii-sama do in my place?" she wondered.

Usually, when Byakuya couldn't sleep, he took a long walk across the gardens. Rukia pouted and sighed. So far as walking went, she could forget that unless she wanted to come back soaked, and, when it came to gardens, Inuzuri wasn't up to much! But thinking about Byakuya sparked a memory in Rukia's mind of their training this morning. Just imagining the noble dancing with her, to the rhythm of her enchantments, made her shiver. "Kami, he is so…. Arrgh, sexy!" she thought, blushing: "It should be illegal!"

The climax had been when Senbonsakura had encircled her. She was perhaps the only one to have seen the inside of that storm of flowers and to have survived to speak of it. There followed a mental block in her memory and she had no recollection of what had happened next. But Rukia surprised herself by wondering what would have happened if things had unfolded differently.

ooOOOooOOOoo

_She heard:_

"_Chire, Senbonsakura."_

_And her vision had been filled with pink. Imprisoned in the whirlwind, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't risk trying to pass through the lethal flowers; that would be suicide. Suddenly though an opening appeared in front of her. Even as she thought to take it though, something happened that she had not anticipated. Byakuya appeared in the improvised doorway and stepped into the sphere. The passage reformed behind him, keeping its prisoners. Rukia stood frozen, watching him approach. His grey eyes took her in, from her head to her feet._

_Hypnotised, she hadn't noticed that her breathing had become slower and deeper and that there was an incredible heat inside her. Her skin became so sensitive that the slightest movement on her part evoked an intense, burning sensation. A nameless sense of helplessness seized her body and it was only by chance that she was already on the ground._

_As for Byakuya, he too had to keep control of his own body or, at least, parts of his body. In Rukia's eyes he saw such passion, such desire, that it seemed to stream into the air around them. It was like a drug. What would happen if he lost control? Rukia saw Byakuya approach her suddenly and his gaze sent tremors running from her head down to her feet. Like a predator on the hunt, choosing his prey. _

_Suddenly placing one knee on the ground beside her, Rukia lost all sense of reality as he gently caressed her cheek then her neck. Without knowing what she did, she placed a hand on his chest, feeling the heat that radiated from his body; then she slid her hand over to his neck, instinctively drawing him towards her. They were both entirely entranced. As he touched her Rukia noticed that there were tiny points of white amid the pink flowers. Adjusting her vision, Rukia could see that they were flakes of snow that seemed to dance with the petals of his cherry blossom. The two zanpakuto waltzed together, suddenly ignorant of the presence of their masters._

_Gazing into her eyes, Byakuya embraced her passionately. She was already drunk on his caresses; now his kisses made her burn with desire, leaving her completely out of breath. Who knew that they could be so sweet? When she felt his tongue gently touch her lips, she opened her mouth. She almost allowed a moan to escape her as she felt his tongue in her mouth, exploring each corner._

"_Kami," thought Rukia: "I'll do anything he asks me to do….. especially if he continues to hold me this way."_

_Their need for air became too great for their desire and they separated for a moment to breathe. After a short time though, Byakuya embraced her anew; he could not resist the sweetness of his lips but, this time, he let Rukia explore his mouth and it was as if she were in paradise. The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back, entirely out of breath, with Byakuya all but atop her, embracing her sweetly. She let a moan of pleasure escape her as she felt his lips on her skin._

_Suddenly, she felt one of Byakuya's hands playing with the sash of her shihakusho. A shiver of excitement ran up her spine. Should she dare do the same? She placed her hands on him and she felt his muscles tighten as she ran her hands down his chest to his belt. Byakuya took a sharp breath and embraced her anew, sliding his hands inside her shihakusho, caressing the flat of her belly. Rukia moaned at the sudden onslaught of sensation, no longer caring; only seeking more of this heat._

_Byakuya proceeded to open her top completely and Rukia blushed suddenly as he devoured her with his eyes, though it only excited her more. He placed one knee between her legs and leaned over her. She shuddered with pleasure when Byakuya covered her body with his own: the sensation of her skin brushing against his own; it was more than she had ever imagined until now. Byakuya leaned towards her ear and murmured in a warm voice:_

"_Rukia….. I don't have any more control."_

_She took another breath._

"_No more than me, Byakuya."_

_When he heard his name leave Rukia's mouth, spoken with such desire, he lost all contact with reality. He thrust his hips towards her and heard Rukia groan fiercely in response. His hand went to caress one of her breasts and, leaning down, he kissed the nipple, which was already almost hard. With satisfaction, Byakuya saw Rukia stretch her head back behind her under the intensity of the waves of desire that afflicted her. She groaned again when she felt his other hand descend the length of her belly and slide between her legs. "Byakuya….."_

_At his touch, which made her cry out in pleasure, Rukia arched her back slowly, feeling as if she would explode. Kami, she wanted him so desperately; she had such a need for him! Her skin burnt as if she had caught fire. She moaned and twisted as he slid a finger inside her and, so sweetly, he started to make movements, back and forth, eventually adding another finger. The madness of ecstasy seized her and she could only submit to this delicious torture. Byakuya turned his hand and, with his thumb, began to stroke her clitoris. "Kami….. Bya….. Byakuya, it's unbelievable."_

"_Do you want more?" he asked, withdrawing his hand, smiling slowly at the sudden disappointment he saw in Rukia's face._

_He swept his hand over her, barely touching her._

"_Yes," she said: "Yes….."_

_Byakuya smiled anew. Aligning his body with hers, he held Rukia's hips and started to press into her. When just the head was inside her it took all of his self-control not to enter a little further. It was so tight that his breath caught._

_Rukia moaned as she felt him enter so gently inside of her. It was so unbelievable! And being with him, feeling his energy all around her, and now inside her. Kami, Rukia had the impression that she was feeling Byakuya's reiatsu running from his veins into her own. If she had to die tomorrow, she would be happy because she would have been with Byakuya._

_When he was fully inside her, he tried to keep control so as not to move too fast. Closing his eyes, he gave her time to adjust, enjoying the simple sensation of being surrounded by her heat. He had never felt anything as strongly as this._

"_Rukia….."_

"_Byakuya, you can….. ahh….. you can move."_

_As Rukia tried to think, her muscles contracted tentatively and she was rewarded with his deep, honest moan. Byakuya began a slow, steady rhythm and Rukia guessed that he was testing just how much she could take. Yet despite that, she bit her lip, appreciating just the sensation of him moving inside her. Byakuya leaned towards her and kissed her fiercely. It was truly incredible. She wanted more, so much more! She was surprised by the knowing smile on Byakuya's lips, and that was the only warning she had before he withdrew from her almost entirely and then entered her anew. Rukia cried out with pleasure as he repeated the action again and again."Kami…. yes….Oh, Byakuya," she moaned._

_She heard a small laugh, discreet and low._

"_Ah, Rukia, cry out my name," said Byakuya, his breathing rapid with every thrust of his hips. He entered her again, increasing the rhythm still further._

_Rukia felt waves of pleasure break across her body, their ebb and flow compelling her. Almost out of breath, moaning, she repeated Byakuya's name with every one. In that moment, his rhythm was fast and strong. She tried hard to hold it back but her pleasure in that moment was absolute._

"_Kami, Rukia….. so tight," groaned Byakuya as he felt Rukia's walls close on him._

_He could tell that she was close….. just as he was. Byakuya's movements became more savage and erratic as he felt the wave start to build up inside him. Rukia cried suddenly with pleasure as if Byakuya had touched something within her._

"_Ah, Byakuya….. Please, more!" she begged._

_Byakuya fought to preserve the same angle._

"_Come for me, Rukia," he said in a rich voice as his hands released her hips and reached for her breasts._

_It was too much for Rukia. She cried his name, arcing her back as the wave of pleasure engulfed her in a tremor that convulsed her entire being._

* * *

_Omake_

_Renji: (approaching) Excuse me, Author, but, even though I know I'm not one of the main characters, would it be POSSIBLE for me to have MORE than FOUR FUCKING LINES per chapter, BITCH?_

_Firebird: Ah, Abarai Renji, just the man I'm looking for (demented glimmer in her eyes). Come with me. I need you for another story._

_Byakuya: (arriving in shunpo and grabbing him) No Renji, don't go near her, don't speak to her and certainly don't listen anything she says._

_Renji: O_o Er, Taichou, but why? It's just the author; she's not dangerous._

_Byakuya: So you think, we are stuck here how you think? Trust me, Renji, she is corrupt._

_Firebird: Ah, it's not kind to say that, Byakuya-sama; I simply want to offer him his own story, which would leave you more time to spend with Rukia._

_Byakuya: Hm, it's tempting….._

_Renji: You see, Taichou, she's not evil._

_Firebird: (should be in her head) Yes, I could make him fight against two or three arrancar, and there, completely covered in blood, suffering a thousand and one tortures, he would have to choose….._

_Renji: Gulp….. Actually I've just remembered I have something on next week. I'm allergic….. Er, I don't want to go!_

_Byakuya: (seeing me continue to rave, turns towards his fukutaichou) I see that it's too late. It's been a pleasure knowing you, Abarai Renji._

_Renji: O_O AHHHHHHHH!_


	9. Chapter 9

Hey , there chapter 9, let say a huge thank you to Kuroi-Cho-Tsuki-Shiro for the fantastic translation. And Bleach belong to Tite Kubo as alsways ^^

* * *

CHAPTER 9: AND MY NIGHTMARES

Suddenly the sky was striped with lightning and a roar of thunder followed. Rukia sat up with a start. She was alone; it was dark; the clearing and the waterfall had vanished. She realised that she was still in the tent. After a moment's respite, Rukia felt panic seize her again. She could hear no sound. Silence reigned outside.

She rose quietly and left the tent to find that a heavy fog had enveloped the battlefield. And, though she reached out with her reiatsu, she could sense no shinigami. Where was Byakuya? And Renji? And everyone else? What had happened? Cold apprehension closed over her chest. The atmosphere was heavy.

All at once, there was movement and Rukia felt the presence of hollow all around her. She couldn't see them but she could sense their approach. She started to run. She needed to get away. They were too numerous, too powerful, too much for her!

"You will not escape us," said a deep voice in the darkness: "You look as if you will be delicious."

Rukia ran as fast as she could. She already knew though that any attempt to escape would be futile. "Why run; it's useless," said the voice, echoing her own thoughts.

Suddenly another voice interrupted the first.

"Rukia! Where are you?"

It was the voice of Byakuya.

"Nii-sama!" she cried.

"He won't save you this time!" called the hollow, in chorus. "This time, you are ours!"

Suddenly the monsters entered her field of vision. A flash of light blinded her and the hollow were gone. But what did that mean? Panic started to cloud her mind.

"Poor little one; she's afraid," said the deep voice.

"No! Leave me alone!"

And Rukia started to run again. None of this made sense! She stopped after a moment and forced herself to take back control. Running away wouldn't help. She drew Sode no Shirayuki. If the hollow wanted her dead, then she would give them hell.

It was only one hollow who attacked her though. Readying her sword, she prepared herself. Yet as soon as she felt her blade come into contact with something, a bright light forced her to close her eyes. When she opened them again, her breath caught. In front of her there was no hollow, no writhing monster with a black hole where its heart should be, no gleaming teeth. There was a black shihakusho and a white haori. She saw too the edges of white scarf. She swallowed hard and started to tremble: "Nii-sama….."

With a painful breath, Rukia withdrew her sword, still in shock. She had stabbed him. Tears filled her vision. As soon as her blade came free, Byakuya staggered. She ran to support him, and lowered him to the ground. Her breath burn as if it was her who had been stabbed. She moved to place his head on her knees and press her hands over the wound, trying to stop the blood that flowed between her fingers. She tried to hold onto the life of the man who had given her everything. Rukia cried out for help, but no-one responded.

"Ru…..kia."

Byakuya was seized by a fit of coughing. His back arched and a line of red coursed out between his lips. Rukia panicked. She looked all around her, but they were alone. Byakuya coughed again and more blood escaped from the wound beneath her hands. She could almost feel the beats of his heart slowing even as her own sped up.

"Nii-sama, don't speak. Guard your strength. I….." _I don't know what to do. Kami, have mercy! Save him!_

"Rukia… why?"

Rukia looked down at Byakuya and her heart broke. Despite the pain, he was looking at her with accusation in his eyes. Yes, why had she done such a terrible thing? Why had she attacked him? Why had he always protected her? Why was he dying while it had to be her? Byakuya's breathing grew laboured and the light began to fade from his eyes. Why would the blood not stop coming?

"No, Nii-sama, don't sleep. I beg you. I'm sorry. Don't leave me." Rukia spoke frantically.

Unfortunately, Byakuya did not listen to her, his back curved in what seemed to be an incredible pain. And his body relaxed, the grey eyes disappeared under the heavy eyelids. His chest stop moving. Rukia began trembling uncontrollably while she rocked him slowly in the arms, feeling his vital force leaving him, his soul part from his body and she was totally powerless to prevent no anything.

_" No! It is impossible, no, no, no … Kami, please have mercy. Not HIM! "_

But no-one responded to her prayers. The blood stopped flowing between her fingers. She cried out for help even though it was too late and no-one responded. Trembling, Rukia lifted her hands from the wound and looked at them, at the crimson stains. Each breath was painful for her. She wanted to die in that moment. She really wanted to die. Suddenly she heard a deep voice in her ear:

"What have you done?"

The tone of the voice was angry and yet, at the same time, amused: "You killed him! He was everything to you and you killed him. What made you do that? You stabbed him through the heart."

The voice spoke slowly, emphasising each word, each one like a dagger thrust into her. Her every heartbeat seemed heavy and futile now. "You have his blood on your hands….. murderer….. assassin….."

Rukia, who had tried to hold back the tears until that moment, screamed. Her cry echoed in the darkness. Yes, she had betrayed everyone she had ever been close to: Renji, Kaien, Ichigo and now Byakuya. And her cries grew stronger, each one trying to release the unbearable pain. An impossible weight rested on her shoulders and bore her to the ground. Grasping the soft earth between her fingers she continued to weep beside the lifeless body of Kuchiki Byakuya. Her mind was gone. The rest was a blur.

* * *

Byakuya carefully observed the contours of the forest; all seemed tranquil for the moment. He was glad that his men were granted a moment of respite because the day's activity had been unrelenting; they would not have held out until dawn. All at once, Byakuya felt his sword shudder. He connected with the spirit. The shock that he felt as soon as he established contact though was enough to make Byakuya grimace. The samurai was stretching out as if he were reaching for something.

"Senbonsakura, what's wrong?"

_It's….. It's Sode no Shirayuki, Master….. She is dancing….. She….._

Byakuya reached out with his own reiatsu and found Rukia sleeping. Everything seemed normal:

"You must be mistaken, Sen. They are sleeping."

_No, Master, she's….. she's calling me. It's so strong that….. Arrrrhh!"_

"Sen? Senbonsakura?"

He did not return for Byakuya. Usually the masked samurai liked to tease him or make derogatory remarks. Yet he was, like Byakuya, a master of self-control: calm, and a little cynical sometimes. But, at that moment, Byakuya had sensed that his zanpakuto had had no control, no self-possession; it had sounded coarse and bestial. That which concerned Byakuya more was that Senbonsakura's cry had not been one of pain, as if he were under attack, but rather a cry of pleasure, of joy and intense desire.

Byakuya wanted to reconnect with his zanpakuto but suddenly he felt a strange reiatsu that was stronger than that the normal hollow and not that of a shinigami. But before he could identify it clearly, it disappeared. Byakuya glanced around the camp several times, but could not trace the odd reiatsu.

Some moment later, Renji approached his Taichou to take the next watch. He greeted him and discussed a little of the day's events with his captain. Then Byakuya turned to him and told him that he was certain the hollow were being directed, controlled or maipulated by something.

"Really, Taichou?" asked Renji: "Have you sensed something today?"

"Vaguely," said Byakuya, glancing towards the forest: "In fact, Renji, I sensed a reiatsu more powerful than that of the hollow within the last hour, but it disappeared quickly. Be on your guard."

Byakuya watched as his fukutaichou glanced nervously at the sky. It lit up briefly and there was a rumble of thunder. With all the rain that had fallen the terrain would definitely be very muddy; completely inadequate for combat. He made a note to tell Hanataro to prepare himself for tomorrow. Certainly, if the rain continued at this rate, by that time, serious injuries could be coming as thick and fast as the rain. Suddenly Byakuya saw Renji look again in the direction of the camp then back towards the sky. He projected his reiatsu into the vicinity, but everything seemed calm. "Renji," he said: "What's worrying you?"

The latter gave a small start:

"Sorry, Taichou. I don't like the sky. It looks as if this rain is going to turn into a storm."

"We can't choose the weather, Renji. We must make do with it."

"Hmm, I know, Taichou. I'm going to find Rukia though; she is….."

Renji was surprised to see his captain stiffen at the mention of the little shinigami.

"What?" asked Byakuya in a serious tone: "Rukia is what?"

But Renji didn't have time to respond as a light blinded them both. The thunder that followed it was so powerful that Renji could feel the ground tremble beneath his feet. Several seconds later, a piercing cry cut through the sudden silence. The two men turned towards the camp at the same time. Byakuya's breath caught as he realised the reiatsu affected was Rukia's and he shunpo-ed towards her followed closely by Renji.

* * *

Rukia, her mind still embroiled in her nightmare, crept towards shelter like a sleepwalker: wretched, faltering and scared. She crept back to the tent because all she could see still was the lifeless body of her brother lying in the mud; crimson mingling gently with the rain. Suddenly she heard Renji say her name. Her childhood friend appeared amidst the torment. Rukia fell to her knees. How was she meant to explain that she had killed his captain….. Nii-sama? She had killed Kuchiki Byakuya! Her heart contracted painfully. She saw Renji stop dead as he saw her empty gaze, filled with nothing but that vision of horror. Could he not see why? Her breathing came in painful gasps.

"Renji, I didn't mean to….. I….. Oh, kami, I killed him….. Byakuya Nii-sama, forgive me! Don't leave me alone!"

Rukia felt unconsciousness envelope and engulf her. There was nothing she could do to fight it. She no longer had the means to fight it with the usual light she carried inside her. That light had faded with him. She had nothing more. Nothing! When she felt Renji approach, she pushed him away with her reiatsu. She didn't want anyone to touch her! No-one, ever! His touch was the last thing she felt.


	10. Chapter 10

Here you have the chapter 10, Im so happy, Im like a little child. :) So a huge thank to Kuroi-Cho-Tsuki-Shiro for the translation of this chapter. Take time to see or to read the book which she is going to publish soon: "The thief of the Red Mountain"

Disclaimer are as before^^

* * *

CHAPTER 10: LOSS OF CONTROL

As Byakuya and Renji approached Rukia, they saw her leave her tent and turn back towards the forest. Briefly reassured, Byakuya was still uncertain as to why her reiatsu was so disturbed. Although she seemed confused, she didn't appear to be injured. But when she turned towards them, Renji took a step back and said her name. Byakuya was shaken to see the panic that spread across his fukutaichou's face.

Eyes wide, Renji was nevertheless mute. He had never before seen that look on Rukia's face, save for, perhaps once, at the death of Shiba Kaien. Then Rukia had been silent. But now, she seem to have lost hope completely. Her whole being had seemed to cry out with pain. They saw Rukia fall to her knees and start to weep. Then, through her tears, they heard her trying to speak:

"Renji, I didn't want….. I've….. Oh Kami, I've killed him… Byakuya-nii-sama, forgive me! Don't leave me alone….."

Byakuya's eyes widened when he heard Rukia say his name. She never said his name. She only ever said 'nii-sama,' polite and respectful, but never his forename. Byakuya was ashamed to admit, in that moment, that he loved the way his sister's voice pronounced the syllables of his name.

Suddenly, hollow's cries could be heard and the alarm sounded. All the men of sixth division came to attention with a start, reaching to grip their zanpakuto and forming a line. Renji could see, on the edge of the forest, innumerable pairs of red eyes, appearing from amongst the trees. Hollows! In greater number than they had seen all day! Why? It was as if they were being attracted by something. Renji swallowed hard. And Kenpachi wouldn't arrive with his men until tomorrow.

"Fuck!"

"Renji!"

The grave voice of his captain made him start and he turned towards Byakuya whose eyes had never left Rukia. And he understood, in that moment, why all the hollow in the forest of Inuzuri were attacking at once. Rukia's reiatsu was spilling out around her as if from a cup that was already too full, but to which liquid was being constantly added. As if she were overflowing. But her reiatsu, which was growing stronger too, was a bait that no hollow could resist. At this rate, if Rukia couldn't take back control, they were all going to die.

"Renji, what's happening here?" demanded Byakuya: "I've never seen her….. lose contol!"

The voice of his captain was no longer calm and his eyes were anything but impassive now.

"Taichou, Rukia's always had a fear of storms. I'm sure she's had a nightmare, but this….. It's never been this desperate or powerful. It's not normal, Taichou. That's not her reiatsu. It's impossible!"

Renji took several steps towards Rukia, going to console her. At that moment, Byakuya saw Rukia tip back her head and give a cry that merged with those of the hollow. His fukutaichou recoiled. Rukia's reiatsu was no longer merely spreading out from her; she literally exploded. Her body was surrounded by an aura of white light. He was stunned. Impossible! Rukia had never released so much reiatsu with such force.

When he saw Renji stagger and bend slightly before the immensity of that energy, Byakuya was shocked. The reiatsu that Rukia was releasing was so fierce that it made fukutaicho bow and rivalled the power of captains. Furthermore, Renji had greater power than most lieutenants. The power that she had released was not yet strong enough to force him to bend, but that did not mean he could not sense the beast that had been unleashed before them.

When Byakuya saw that Renji was being pushed to the ground, he moved rapidly into shunpo and placed himself in front of him, giving his fukutaichou a chance to regain his breath. At the moment when he perceived the full force of the reiatsu though, he perceived something was different.

"Renji, get up."

"Taichou," said Renji, confused and out of breath: "Fuck, what's happening? Rukia's never been this strong; it feels as if she's trying to release several bankai at once."

"Renji, that power is hers, but completely beyond her control. I sense a strange reiatsu in her; it could be the source of that surcharge."

"We have to do something, Taichou. Her body won't support that for long."

"I'll take care of Rukia. You should aid the mens. They must keep the line."

"But Taichou….."

"Abarai-fukutaichou, don't make me repeat myself. If we lose the line, given how many they are, the hollow will swallow Inuzuri in its entirety, and us at the same time. You have to protect us."

With a low groan Renji obeyed and the captain watched his lieutenant organise the troops and reform the line. Returning his attention to his sister, Byakuya swallowed hard. He had never been the best person at consoling others: not least a woman in tears. Yet seeing Rukia in this state was unbearable. He had to act. He could still sense this frail and strange reiatsu through the power that Rukia was projecting at which threatened to overwhelm it.

He took several steps towards her and Rukia looked up suddenly. Fear and pain had contorted her features, tearing into Byakua's heart. She regarded him directly, but gave no sign of recognition, as if she hadn't seen him. He took another step towards her, extending his hand.

"No!" cried Rukia suddenly: "Don't come near me! Leave me alone!"

The little shinigami took the opportunity to step into the air, trying to escape the thing that pursued her. Byakuya followed. He catch up with her with a sudden shunpo. She was kneeling in space, suspended, her head in her hands, grimacing in pain. Byakuya reached out with his reiatsu and, all at once, Rukia lifted her head.

He froze where he was. She was looking at him again and now it was clear that she knew he was there, but this wasn't Rukia. Her eyes was white and her fine mouth curled into a malicious smile. The mysterious reiatsu had resurfaced with force. Byakuya sensed that it was mingling with that of Rukia, like a poison; a parasite.

"You cannot have her," said Rukia in a voice that was no longer her own: "She's with me now."

"Let her go at once!"

"Ah, no. Certainly not. She is too easy to possess and her dreams are too exciting. She dreams of you, Captain. Has she already told you of her dreams? Ah, they still make me shiver! And her nightmares? Hmmm, delicious."

"Who are you, Hollow?" asked Byakuya, gritting his teeth.

"My name has no more significance than the body I'm in."

Byakuya tried to remain cool but inside he was boiling. Of a sudden, Rukia's face took on a malicious expression that he'd never seen before: "But no, I'm wrong. On the contrary, this body is very precious to you, isn't it? I have seen you with her. I've seen how you look at her and how she looks at you."

The power of the enemy, Byakuya could sense now, was stronger than that of a hollow and even than that of an adjuchas. It was stronger still. It was at the level of an arrancar. The creature gave a demented laugh. Byakuya touched Senbonsakura's guard:

"You are mad to choose to oppose the Gotei Thirteen with the force that you possess. Surely you realise this is suicide and, even in your numbers, you stand no chance of breaking the seireitei's defences," Byakuya said.

"Don't believe it, Captain. We hollow have found a new source of power. We just need to acquire it."

Byakuya was silent for a moment. What was it talking about? Since Aizen, no-one had really taken power in Hueco Mundo; there had been only a series of small reigns without any real direction, ending always in a bloodbath. It had given the shinigami a break, until now. The strange voice that came out of Rukia's mouth stopped his thoughts in their tracks.

"The hollow are on the march, Captain; the seireitei will fall and the fault will be from those who were meant to defend it."

"I challenge you to do so. You will get no further than this!"

"You want to fight me, Captain?" it asked.

Rukia's hand reached for the zanpakuto on her hip. No, he would never be able to fight the enemy while it was in her body. Suddenly, Rukia's body convulsed and Byakuya heard the little shinigami let out an agonised cry. The noble couldn't stop himself from taking a step towards her. But the thing that was controlling her had already regained possession of her.

"Pff. Perhaps I overdid it a little. Poor thing, I think she has lost her self. A pity; I thought she would have been able to withstand more. Worse, I will need to find someone else once she has faded."

Suddenly Byakuya noticed that Rukia's appearance had begun to change. All at once her hair was longer, reaching to the middle of her back. It floated on the cold wind. The sleeves of her shihakusho lengthened and, in their place, the black material she was clothed in began to fade to grey, growing steadily paler. Kami, what was happening?

Byakuya felt his heart speed up. He could see Rukia releasing still more reiatsu with ever more force, but, at this rate, her energy centres would soon be burnt out; she would fall into a coma that would quickly lead to her death. Yet despite that she seemed to want to empty herself of reiatsu, as if she suddenly found it repugnant. It was then that Byakuya understood: Rukia was trying to expel the arrancar that had seized control of her. But her determination was going to kill her. "I have fused with her energy, Captain. She cannot find me, despite her efforts."

"But I can."

Effectively Byakuya was able to see the two reiatsu. It was as if water was mixing with oil. The two had become one, but, after a time, it became possible to differentiate. He could wait no longer. Still, the pressure this could exert on the body of the little shinigami could prove fatal.

Byakuya extended his arms out before him and released the force of his reiatsu. Rather than trying to find the monster, Byakuya surrond his energy around that of the creature, creating an imagined line between its reiatsu and Rukia's. Carefully, he started to separate it from its host. The energy around him increased in power. He heard Renji's voice a little way away:

"Taichou, you have to hurry," said his fukutaichou: "We can't hold them back for much longer."

Byakuya glanced around him quickly and saw that they were almost surrounded. It was only by the efforts of the men of Sixth Division that he and Rukia had not been submerged amidst the hollow. As soon as he thought he had fully delimited the energy of the creature, Byakuya tried to move it. He could not afford to take a false step now because it would be Rukia who paid the price. He used his senka.

This would allow him, with a rapid shunpo, to appear behind his enemy and pierce its back with his sword at the two points that were vital for a shinigami. Praying that he would not make a mistake, Byakuya forced his sword into Rukia's back. The little shinigami's back arched suddenly in shock and pain. No, Byakuya had not lost his mind.

A vague, translucent silhouette seemed to detach itself from her body and give a howl of pain. The face of the apparition turned slowly towards the nobleman. With one hand, Byakuya caught the hollow and pushed it brutally, forcing it out of Rukia's body; then he pulled it, dragging it further from its host, until it was no longer inside her. The arrancar was now only connected to Rukia at a few points and even they were beginning to thin.

"H-how?" begged the arrancar.

"I chose not to touch Rukia's energy centres. I aimed for the links that connected you to her."

In a single movement, he cut the remaining links. The arrancars body was seized with tremors and its scream rose into the air. Grimacing, it stretched out its arms and grab Byakuya's. He saw its ashen gaze literally burst into flame.

"You have no power! You have none of the strength of a warrior. You are only a pale imitation. It is only with the strength of those you possess that you are strong. Without her, you are nothing," he said, seemingly calm, though he made no effort to hide the fury inside him. _And, in possessing her, you have meddled with someone far stronger than you._

Byakuya thrust Senbonsakura into its rib cage up to the hilt, putting an end to the arrancar's menace. And it was as the arrancar took its last breath and at last began to disappear that a white light exploded out of Rukia's body. A scream followed and the only thing that Byakuya could think was:

_Rukia….._

* * *

Well, this is it for now, feel free to leave a comment, its always welcome. ^^


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